Boston, MA – Mintz, along with co-counsel Black Srebnick PA, secured a full acquittal on all charges brought against client Amin Khoury, who had been charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud, honest services fraud and federal programs bribery. The trial was the final case tied to the nationwide college admissions scandal known as “Operation Varsity Blues,” and the only case out of 57 to end in an acquittal. Every other defendant was convicted following a guilty plea or trial.

On June 16th, Mr. Khoury was found not guilty by twelve unanimous jurors on all counts of the indictment, which alleged that Mr. Khoury made an illicit $200,000 cash payment to former Georgetown University tennis coach Gordon Ernst to secure a spot for his daughter on the team. The defense team demonstrated that Mr. Khoury’s daughter was properly recruited and admitted to the school.

Varsity Blues started in March 2019, charging that more than 50 defendants, including multiple celebrities, lawyers, hedge fund managers and others, used bribes and falsified athletic or academic credentials to gain entry to the nation’s most elite universities for their children.

The Mintz team representing Mr. Khoury included Mintz Member and Chairman R. Robert Popeo, Member and Co-chair of the White Collar Defense and Government Investigations Practice Eóin P. Beirne, and Associates Mathilda McGee-Tubb and Edmund Daly, as well as co-counsel Roy Black, Howard M. Srebnick, Jackie Perczek and Maria Neyra of Black Srebnick PA and General Counsel of the Khoury Family Office, Ryan M. Patch.

The case is USA v. Amin Khoury, case number 1:20-cr-10177, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Mintz’s preeminent White Collar Defense practice is best known for developing aggressive and creative strategies to resolve disputes, inside the courtroom, in governmental inquiries, and in the public relations sphere, representing individuals and businesses in a wide range of state, federal, and administrative criminal and government enforcement matters. By leveraging our skilled team of defense attorneys, including 8 former federal prosecutors we often succeed in convincing prosecutors not to proceed criminally against clients or to resolve matters short of an indictment. However, when no negotiation is possible, we have a reputation for taking tough cases to trial and winning.

For more information about Mintz, please visit www.mintz.com.