Former Penn coach, current Celtics assistant testifies to taking $300,000 in bribes
Former Pennsylvania basketball coach Jerome Allen testified to taking around $300,000 in wire transfer bribes from a Florida businessman in exchange for getting the man's son into the university with a priority basketball scholarship.
Allen, now a coach with the Boston Celtics, resigned from a six-year head coaching tenure leading the Quakers in 2015. He was 65-104.
Allen's testimony was part of a major Medicare and Medicaid fraud investigation from July that caught the coach on wiretaps making the deal with the healthcare executive, Philip Esformes; Allen had already pleaded guilty for bribery charges in October and could face prison time.
He said he also received bags with $10,000 in cash before he started receiving wire transfers prior to Morris Esformes, the businessman's son, getting into the university.
“I put my whole career out there," Allen testified on the witness stand, according to Law360.com. The 46-year-old said of knowingly breaking NCAA and university rules. “I knew that if it got back to the University of Pennsylvania what I was doing for Morris Esformes, I would be fired."
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“I accepted the money to help Morris Esformes get into the school," he added. "I got his son into Penn. I got his son into Wharton. None of that would have happened without me.”
Allen also claimed in his testimony that former Penn assistant Ira Bowman, now an assistant coach at Auburn, was aware and a part of the illegal scheme after Allen left the program in 2015. Allen said he did his best from afar to make sure Morris Esformes would be on the team after he left the program and before Esformes ultimately quit.
The university released a statement expressing its disenchantment.
“Until Jerome’s testimony last week, we also were unaware that former assistant men’s basketball coach Ira Bowman had any relevant knowledge of the matter. The University has been cooperating fully with the government and the NCAA so that the matter is appropriately redressed.”
Allen played in the NBA following a memorable career as a Penn shooting guard — winning Ivy League player of the year twice and leading the Quakers to three undefeated conference titles.
Former Pennsylvania basketball coach Jerome Allen testified to taking around $300,000 in wire transfer bribes from a Florida businessman in exchange for getting the man's son into the university with a priority basketball scholarship.
Allen, now a coach with the Boston Celtics, resigned from a six-year head coaching tenure leading the Quakers in 2015. He was 65-104.
Allen's testimony was part of a major Medicare and Medicaid fraud investigation from July that caught the coach on wiretaps making the deal with the healthcare executive, Philip Esformes; Allen had already pleaded guilty for bribery charges in October and could face prison time.
He said he also received bags with $10,000 in cash before he started receiving wire transfers prior to Morris Esformes, the businessman's son, getting into the university.
“I put my whole career out there," Allen testified on the witness stand, according to Law360.com. The 46-year-old said of knowingly breaking NCAA and university rules. “I knew that if it got back to the University of Pennsylvania what I was doing for Morris Esformes, I would be fired."
SPORTS, DELIVERED:Get latest news right in your inbox!
“I accepted the money to help Morris Esformes get into the school," he added. "I got his son into Penn. I got his son into Wharton. None of that would have happened without me.”
Allen also claimed in his testimony that former Penn assistant Ira Bowman, now an assistant coach at Auburn, was aware and a part of the illegal scheme after Allen left the program in 2015. Allen said he did his best from afar to make sure Morris Esformes would be on the team after he left the program and before Esformes ultimately quit.
The university released a statement expressing its disenchantment.
“Until Jerome’s testimony last week, we also were unaware that former assistant men’s basketball coach Ira Bowman had any relevant knowledge of the matter. The University has been cooperating fully with the government and the NCAA so that the matter is appropriately redressed.”
Allen played in the NBA following a memorable career as a Penn shooting guard — winning Ivy League player of the year twice and leading the Quakers to three undefeated conference titles.
