Federal authorities say a Florida businessman already charged with orchestrating a massive Medicare fraud scheme bribed a former university basketball coach to help get his son admitted to an Ivy League university.
Prosecutors allege the payments were intended to help the son of nursing home owner Philip Esformes, who is accused of filing false Medicare and Medicaid claims.
Howard Srebnick, an attorney for Esformes, said his client will plead not guilty.
The indictment released Friday did not name the university or coach. But Srebnick said prosecutors disclosed in court that assistant Boston Celtics coach Jerome Allen received the payments while he was head coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Allen has not been charged.
The charges were initially reported by the Miami Herald, which said Allen could not be reached for comment and representatives for the University of Pennsylvania and the Boston Celtics declined to comment on Saturday.
