Potomac Businessman Charged In College Admissions Bribery Scheme

POTOMAC, MD — A Potomac businessman and Harvard University's former fencing coach were arrested Monday on charges they conspired to get the businessman's two sons admitted to the Ivy League school in exchange for bribes.

Jie "Jack" Zhao, 61, is accused of shelling out more than $1.5 million in bribes so that Peter Brand, 67, would recruit his children to the fencing team, thereby getting them into Harvard, according to federal prosecutors. The bribes, officials said, included payments for a car and a house in one of the wealthiest suburbs of Boston.

Zhao, the chief executive of a telecommunications company, and Brand, who was fired by Harvard in 2019, were charged with conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery for the agreement, according to officials.

"(Monday's) arrests show how Peter Brand's and Jie Zhao's plan to circumvent the college admissions process ended up backfiring on both of them. Now they are accused of exchanging more than $1.5 million in bribes for their own personal benefit," said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

Their arrests come more than a year after a sprawling federal investigation accused more than 50 people of participating in a scheme to get their children into elite universities. Famous parents charged in that scandal include actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman.

Zhao and Brand's cases, however, are separate from the recent college admissions scandal, according to The Associated Press.

The charge of conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.

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