Ex-Macau casino exec Aziz gets year jail over college bribes

Feb 10, 2022 Newsdesk Industry Talk, Latest News  

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Former Macau and Las Vegas casino executive Gamal Aziz (pictured in a file photo) received on Wednesday a year and a day in jail, the longest prison sentence handed down so far, in connection with a probe in the United States into allegations of college-admission bribery .

Mr Aziz was president of Macau casino operator Wynn Macau Ltd at the time its Cotai casino resort Wynn Palace opened in August 2016.

In 2019 Mr Aziz – also known as Abdelaziz – was charged in the U.S. with paying US$300,000 in bribes to get a daughter into the University of Southern California.

He had denied wrongdoing. But he was convicted in October last year of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and honest services mail fraud and wire fraud; and one count of conspiracy to commit what is known as federal programmes bribery.

On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nathaniel Gorton, sitting in Boston, Massachusetts, also ordered Mr Aziz to pay a US$250,000 fine, and perform 400 hours of community service.

Brian Kelly, Mr Aziz’s lawyer, said outside court that his client would be appealing the matter, and that his legal team hoped to vindicate their client.

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