Ex-USC soccer coach to plead guilty in college bribery case

BOSTON – A former women’s soccer coach at the University of Southern California is expected to plead guilty for his role in a sweeping admissions bribery scheme.

The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that 49-year-old Ali Khosroshahin of Fountain Valley, California, will plead guilty to conspiracy to commit racketeering as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

Khosroshahin is accused of accepting bribes to get four students designated as soccer recruits even though none played competitive soccer.

Prosecutors say a firm that orchestrated the bribes directed $350,000 to a private soccer club controlled by Khosroshahin and Laura Janke, another former USC soccer coach. Janke pleaded guilty in March.

The Justice Department is recommending a lenient sentence and says Khosroshahin is co-operating with the government’s investigation. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled.