rbg
Postdoc
Posts: 3050
Reg: 10-20-14
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02-14-19 10:01 AM - Post#276352
In response to SteveChop
Thanks to P38 for finding the DP article on the Jerome Allen investigation update. I am posting the link here to make it easier to have all the information on one thread.
https://www.thedp.com/article/2019/02/penn- athleti...
- I think Allen's original statement said that he pleaded guilty to taking an $18,000 bribe and that he would be repaying that money + $200,000. While it was implied, I don't think he explicitly mentioned that he would be testifying against Esformes.
- Penn finally announced the name of the investigator, Chuck Smrt of The Compliance Group, to oversee the internal investigation.
- The school is saying that it cannot move forward with the results of their investigation until Allen is done with his part of the Esformes trial. Jury selection started this week in that trial.
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Stuart Suss
PhD Student
Posts: 1439
Loc: Chester County, Pennsylva...
Reg: 11-21-04
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Article: Jerome Took Bribes at Penn
03-10-19 11:35 PM - Post#280577
In response to rbg
Jerome Allen has testified at the Esformes trial.
Miami Herald article
I realize this has been previously posted elsewhere by others. I wanted to keep the Jerome Allen thread together.
Edited by Stuart Suss on 03-10-19 11:40 PM. Reason for edit: Explanation for duplicate post on the topic
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SRP
Postdoc
Posts: 4910
Reg: 02-04-06
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03-10-19 11:41 PM - Post#280579
In response to Stuart Suss
"A former head basketball coach at the University of Pennsylvania who is now with the Boston Celtics testified Friday that he was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes by a Miami Beach executive standing trial for Medicare fraud so that the wealthy businessman’s son could get into the Ivy League school."
That's a lot more money than I recall reading in earlier reports.
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1LotteryPick1969
Postdoc
Posts: 2272
Age: 73
Loc: Sandy, Utah
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-11-19 06:35 AM - Post#280585
In response to SRP
But it raises the market value of a Penn admission.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32803
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-11-19 08:21 AM - Post#280592
In response to SRP
Correct. Significantly more. And he corrupted the admissions process. I see how the defense claims that the kid has done well at Penn. It's not a defense. Anyone who can gain admission through athletics is "admittable". There are many kids who can do the work who don't get in. It's a dark stain.
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rbg
Postdoc
Posts: 3050
Reg: 10-20-14
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03-11-19 08:39 AM - Post#280599
In response to palestra38
https://www.thedp.com/article/2019/03/penn- athleti...
- Overall, Esformes paid Allen more than $74,000 in cash bribes and $220,000 in wire transfers over a period that extended from 2013 to 2015.
In October, Allen, who currently works as an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics, admitted to having accepted $18,000 in bribes from Esformes. Allen had to repay this sum and was additionally fined over $200,000 by the federal government. He was also suspended from his role with the Celtics for a period of two weeks. He has not yet been sentenced.
In July 2015, Bloomberg broke the story that Allen, originally labeled as “Coach 2,†had allegedly received $74,000 in bribes from Esformes. Penn hired Chuck Smrt of The Compliance Group, an outside consultant, to oversee its internal investigation of Allen’s conduct. Smrt specifically looked into whether Allen broke any NCAA rules.
Last month, Athletics Director M. Grace Calhoun indicated that Penn was unable to comment on the investigation until after Allen's testimony.
“Penn thoroughly reviewed everything surrounding the situation, and as soon as we're at liberty to proceed forward, after that part of the trial at least, we will," Calhoun said.
Now that Allen has testified, it should soon become clear what Penn’s findings were. Allen’s conduct could have implications on Penn’s ability to recruit in the future in the form of self-imposed, NCAA, or Ivy League sanctions. However, there could also be no further action from either Penn or the NCAA. -
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T.P.F.K.A.D.W.
PhD Student
Posts: 1171
Loc: Our Nation's Capital
Reg: 01-18-05
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Article: Jerome Took Bribes at Penn
03-11-19 12:27 PM - Post#280627
In response to rbg
Question for the lawyers on the board: What is the purpose of the Feds going after the bribery angle in the context of an alleged BILLION dollar fraud scheme? Is it an effort to further paint Esformes as a died-in-the-wool POS? Is it part of a larger effort to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him? A little of both?
Obviously no one is excusing his bribery (and certainly not those of Allen) but this bribery just seems like small potatoes compared to the massive fraud scheme this guy cooked up.
Edited by T.P.F.K.A.D.W. on 03-11-19 12:27 PM. Reason for edit: No reason given.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32803
Reg: 11-21-04
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Re: Article: Jerome Took Bribes at Penn
03-11-19 12:40 PM - Post#280628
In response to T.P.F.K.A.D.W.
I don't have enough background of the case to comment on the Feds' strategy, but when you take on the government in a criminal case, they indeed will throw everything possible against you. That's why they don't lose many that they bring to trial.
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Stuart Suss
PhD Student
Posts: 1439
Loc: Chester County, Pennsylva...
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-11-19 08:44 PM - Post#280715
In response to palestra38
It is behind the paywall, but Mike Jensen at philly.com has a report that Ira Bowman was a knowing participant in the bribery scheme.
Statement from Penn: “Until Jerome’s testimony last week, we also were unaware that former assistant men’s basketball coach Ira Bowman had any relevant knowledge of the matter. The University has been cooperating fully with the government and the NCAA so that the matter is appropriately redressed.â€
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Silver Maple
Postdoc
Posts: 3770
Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
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03-11-19 09:16 PM - Post#280723
In response to Stuart Suss
Perhaps Ira got out while the getting was good?
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Penndemonium
PhD Student
Posts: 1896
Reg: 11-29-04
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03-11-19 09:46 PM - Post#280731
In response to Silver Maple
This is just heartbreaking. Two of my Penn basketball favorites. Not enough is known about Ira's situation to judge completely, but it definitely isn't a positive.
I appreciate that Jerome seems to have decided to tell the cold hard truth now, but the truth definitely hurts.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32803
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-11-19 10:06 PM - Post#280734
In response to Penndemonium
Telling the cold hard truth after you are faced with hard time if you don't is not commendable.
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rbg
Postdoc
Posts: 3050
Reg: 10-20-14
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03-11-19 11:39 PM - Post#280736
In response to palestra38
One wonders how thorough the Penn internal investigation, which had oversight by Mr. Smrt, was if they missed this important news.
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Mike Porter
Postdoc
Posts: 3618
Loc: Los Angeles, CA
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-12-19 12:20 AM - Post#280738
In response to rbg
Ugh... this is brutal and what a disappointment from Allen and Bowman as well. I hope Bowman didn’t get any $$? His move seemed a little random before, but maybe not so random now.
I literally just got an ESPN alert about this news so not a great look.
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Penndemonium
PhD Student
Posts: 1896
Reg: 11-29-04
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03-12-19 01:22 AM - Post#280741
In response to Mike Porter
Do people think Allen should have sold out Bowman? It isn't clear that he was forced to.
The article says that Allen gave him debit cards, although the amount isn't clear and it also isn't clear if they were used. Most store bought debit cards are pretty small denomination.
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Silver Maple
Postdoc
Posts: 3770
Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
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03-12-19 10:50 AM - Post#280775
In response to Penndemonium
If Bowman knew this was going on and looked the other way, that's pretty bad. Whether he took any money doesn't seem very important to me. I realize it has legal implications.
How much of this is going to splash onto the current AD's shoes?
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32803
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-12-19 11:08 AM - Post#280781
In response to Silver Maple
I have severe doubts that she knew about it--rather, Jerome knew the handwriting was on the wall and kept it quiet to make more money in what would be his final year. Indeed, that is what he testified to.
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Silver Maple
Postdoc
Posts: 3770
Loc: Westfield, New Jersey
Reg: 11-23-04
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03-12-19 11:45 AM - Post#280784
In response to palestra38
I think that's probably right. But, that doesn't mean she can't get blamed if the university administration decides it wants a scapegoat. If she's smart (and I'm positive she is), she'll do whatever she can to make sure Bislky gets the blame for this.
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palestra38
Professor
Posts: 32803
Reg: 11-21-04
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03-12-19 11:51 AM - Post#280785
In response to Silver Maple
Although I blame Bilsky for the 10 years in the Wilderness, I don't blame anyone but Jerome for this. He crassly betrayed the trust of the University. It's not as though they weren't paying him well---he even got that double secret probation extension he didn't deserve, playing with Miller's recruits (and losing the one significant game he ever had with the team). Nope--this is all on Jerome Allen.
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Go Green
PhD Student
Posts: 1145
Age: 52
Reg: 04-22-10
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03-12-19 11:52 AM - Post#280786
In response to Silver Maple
I think that's probably right. But, that doesn't mean she can't get blamed if the university administration decides it wants a scapegoat. If she's smart (and I'm positive she is), she'll do whatever she can to make sure Bislky gets the blame for this.
Apparently the Stanford sailing coach and the Yale women's soccer coach did the same thing that Allen did. And others...
https://www.si.com/more-sports/2019/03/1 2/college-...
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