WESTWOOD-On Friday, March 19, the Department of Justice announced that the former men’s soccer coach at UCLA has been sentenced in connection with his involvement in a scheme to use fraud and bribery to facilitate the admission of applicants to UCLA.
Jorge Salcedo, 48, was sentenced to eight months in prison, one year of supervised release, and forfeiture in the amount of $200,000. In January 2021, Salcedo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery.
In 2016, Salcedo agreed with William “Rick” Singer, Ali Khosroshahin, a former head coach of women’s soccer at UCLA, and others to facilitate the admission of a student to UCLA as a purported women’s soccer recruit. Salcedo emailed the UCLA women’s soccer coaches the student’s test scores, transcript, and a fake soccer profile that he had received from Singer and Khosroshahin. When UCLA questioned whether she actually played soccer, Salcedo created a fake backstory, resulting in her subsequent admission to the women’s soccer team. Salcedo was then paid a bribe of $100,000 for his actions.
In 2018, Salcedo agreed with Khosroshahin and Singer to “recruit” the son of another client of Singer’s to the UCLA men’s soccer team even though the student did not play soccer. Salcedo also falsely reported in the recruitment paperwork that he had seen the student play in China and planned to offer him a 25% scholarship. The student was subsequently admitted to UCLA on the men’s soccer team with a 25% scholarship. Salcedo accepted another $100,000 bribe in exchange.
Khosroshahin and Singer previously pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the scheme. They have not yet been sentenced.
