A new filing in Los Angeles Superior Court alleges in detail how John Wilson's legal ordeal in the “Varsity Blues” scandal began with a series of misrepresentations from the University of Southern California (USC) causing the Wilson family damages in excess of $75 million. The Complaint filed by the Law Offices of William CharlesTanenbaum, Esq. states USC's systematic deceit and false testimony led to Mr. Wilson's wrongful indictment in the infamous case. The filing highlights USC's misrepresentation of their admissions policies to the Wilsons and the subsequent, contradictory false testimony about their son Johnny Wilson's membership on the USC water polo team.
“The 'Varsity Blues' scandal began with a series of misrepresentations from the University of Southern California (USC)”
“The Wilsons were led to believe their $100,000 donation was a legitimate contribution to USC Athletics by multiple high-ranking university officials,” the filing asserts. “The Complaint alleges a troubling set of misrepresentations that misled the Wilsons and exposed them to a nightmare criminal prosecution,” stated William Charles Tanenbaum, lead attorney for the Wilson family.
The filing details how key USC figures, such as head coach Jovan Vavic, Assistant AthleticDirector Alex Garfio, and Associate Athletic Director Ron Orr, assured the Wilsons that their donation was legitimate and conformed to University policies. These assurances were later denied during Wilson's trial by the USC personnel's own testimony.
The filing details how USC officials falsely testified about Johnny Wilson's status on the water polo team, despite undeniable evidence of his active participation. Johnny Wilson was not only a registered NCAA athlete but also was involved in team activities and received treatment for a sports-related concussion from USC medical staff. Despite this, the Wilson filing argues USC assistant water polo coach Casey Moon falsely testified that Johnny Wilson was a no-show member of the team after day one. Casey was later promoted to Head Coach.
The filing describes USC's “reprehensible” actions in soliciting the Wilson family's donation under false pretenses, later branding it as an illegal bribe while retaining the funds. This duplicitous conduct directly contributed to Wilson's wrongful prosecution and the profound impact on his family, the filing continues.
The document goes on to argue that USC's actions exposed “a disturbing pattern of deceit and exploitation,” forcing Wilson to exhaust his life savings defending against false charges.
All of Wilson's core convictions were unanimously overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals and the prosecutors dropped all the overturned charges.
“USC is supposed to protect its students like Johnny Wilson. Instead, their trial testimony sought to diminish and ruin his hard-worked, legitimate contributions to the 2014 water polo team. Further, as alleged in the complaint, numerous high ranking Athletic Department administrators caused the Wilsons to rely on stated facts that USC contradicted years later. The Wilsons are entitled to their day in court,” said Tanenbaum.
About John Wilson:
John Wilson, a Massachusetts businessman and former defendant in the high-profile “Varsity Blues” college admissions scandal, is suing the University of Southern California (USC) for fraud in a $75-million civil suit. Wilson was charged on several criminal counts in the Varsity Blues case, including making a $100,000 donation to USC, which the university assured him was legal and conformed to the institution's donation policies. All Mr. Wilson' core convictions were unanimously overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit on May 10, 2023. The court ruled that prosecutors had not proven an overarching conspiracy and identified significant evidentiary issues during the trial, leading to the dismissal of all the charges related to conspiracy, fraud, and bribery.
Contact: Mark HazlinPhone: 202-289-4001 Email: mhazlin@XenophonStrategies.com
Notes:
— John Wilson and Bill Tanenbaum are available for interviews
— Photographs relating to the story are available upon request
— The full lawsuit is available at: Wilson vs USC February 10, 2025 legal filing
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SOURCE Law Offices of William Charles Tanenbaum, Esq
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