Athletic officials’ Varsity Blues case to continue

An image of the building Bovard on campus, showing its red brick entrance

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Jovan Vavic and Donna Heinel, former USC Athletics employees facing federal charges for misconduct related to the college admissions scandal, may go to trial, a judge ruled Wednesday. (Daily Trojan file photo)

Five individuals involved in the Operation Varsity Blues admissions scandal and their prosecutors must prepare for a possible trial, a federal judge ruled Wednesday in a hearing to contemplate dropping charges. The defendants include former USC senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel and water polo head coach Jovan Vavic, who face allegations of taking bribes to help University applicants secure admission through athletic recruitment.

The defendants first contested the validity of one of their charges — conspiracy to commit racketeering — in October, arguing that the charge was erroneous because the scheme lacked deliberate collaboration between the athletic officials. Cooperation is typically a hallmark in cases of alleged racketeering, a charge often levied against members of organized crime.

Heinel stands accused of cooperating with organizer William “Rick” Singer to coordinate more than two dozen students’ admissions as fraudulent athletic recruits over a four-year period beginning in 2014. According to the complaint filed in March 2019, Heinel presented applicants to admissions committees in exchange for payments from Singer totaling more than $1.3 million. Heinel has been charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering; conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud; conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery; aiding and abetting wire fraud and honest services wire fraud; and aiding and abetting mail fraud and honest services mail fraud.

As part of the admissions scheme, Vavic allegedly accepted bribes from Singer, including $250,000 and private school tuition payments for his children, to arrange for two USC applicants’ acceptance to the University as water polo recruits.

Vavic faces charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery and aiding and abetting wire fraud and honest services wire fraud.

Conspiracy to commit racketeering; conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud; and mail and wire fraud and honest services mail and wire fraud carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine each. Conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery has a maximum sentence of five years in prison with a $250,000 fine. Both Heinel and Vavic have pleaded not guilty in the case and are contesting charges.

Heinel and Vavic, along with two non-USC athletic officials also accused of racketeering for their roles in the college admissions scandal, will next appear in Boston federal court July 15 for a status hearing.