Michael Center, College Admissions Bribery, TX 2023

Michael Center, 54, of Austin, Texas, the former head coach of the University of Texas at Austin men’s tennis team, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to taking a $100,000 bribe to fraudulently secure the admission of a student who was not a legitimate athlete. The guilty plea marks another conviction in the sprawling federal investigation into corruption within elite college admissions.

Center admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, charges that carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for October 30, 2019.

The scheme involved falsifying the applicant’s tennis credentials to make them appear as a competitive recruit, allowing the student to gain admission under false pretenses. In exchange, Center accepted $100,000 routed through a sham charity, part of a broader network of bribes and fraud orchestrated by college admissions consultant Rick Singer, whose operation has ensnared dozens of parents, coaches, and administrators nationwide.

Center was initially charged by criminal complaint on March 12, 2019, as part of a sweeping indictment that exposed a pay-to-play system undermining the integrity of higher education. Prosecutors say the bribes allowed wealthy families to buy their children’s way into top universities, while honest applicants were left behind.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Field Division; and Kristina O’Connell, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigations in Boston, announced the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric S. Rosen, Justin D. O’Connell, Leslie A. Wright, and Kristen A. Kearney are prosecuting the case out of Lelling’s Securities and Financial Fraud Unit.

The details contained in the court documents are allegations, and all remaining defendants in the broader investigation are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. More information, including charging documents and plea agreements, is available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/investigations-college-admissions-and-testing-bribery-scheme.