header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
April 19
1880 - Pico Oil Spring Mine Section 2 patented by R.F. Baker and Edward F. Beale [story]
E.F. Beale


| Wednesday, Mar 13, 2019
Ali Khosroshahin at USC. | Photo: Daily Trojan.
Ali Khosroshahin at USC. | Photo: Daily Trojan.

 

Ali Khosroshahin, women’s soccer head coach for the University of Southern California from 2007-2013 and a technical adviser for the Santa Clarita Blue Heat professional soccer team from January-September 2018, is among the coaches indicted Tuesday in a federal probe of cheating and bribery in college admissions.

Khosroshahin (pronounced ho-SRO-sha-HEEN), 49, a Fountain Valley resident, is one of dozens of individuals allegedly involved in a nationwide conspiracy that facilitated cheating on college entrance exams and the admission of students to elite universities as purported athletic recruits.

Athletic coaches from Yale, Stanford, USC, Wake Forest and Georgetown, among others, are implicated, as well as parents and exam administrators, in the $25 million scheme.

Following an extensive FBI investigation dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues,” the Department of Justice indictment was unsealed Tuesday in federal court in Boston, and federal agents in multiple states immediately began arresting defendants.

Khosroshahin was among the first 13 defendants taken into custody Tuesday in the Los Angeles area, including actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin, according to Thom Mrozek, spokesman for the U.S. District Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in Los Angeles.

Arraignments began Tuesday afternoon in Courtroom 341 of the Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles.

Khosroshahin is charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering. He was ordered released on $100,000 bond, Mrozek said.

Laura Janke, who was Khosroshahin’s assistant head coach at USC until his firing in 2013 after three consecutive sub-.500 seasons, is also charged with conspiracy to commit racketeering.

Both Khosroshahin and Janke are scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston on March 25, according to court documents.

The indictment accuses Khosroshahin of taking bribes from co-defendant William “Rick” Singer to falsify college admissions applications and documents for students applying for admission to USC and the University of California at Los Angeles between 2012 and 2016.

Singer was charged in the indictment with racketeering conspiracy; money laundering conspiracy; conspiracy to defraud the US; and obstruction of justice. He pleaded guilty to all counts on Tuesday and is out on $500,000 bail pending his sentencing, scheduled for June 19 in Courtroom 12 before Judge Zobel.

“For example, Singer directed payments totaling approximately $350,000 to a private soccer club controlled by Janke and Khosroshahin,” the indictment reads. “In exchange for these payments, Janke and Khosroshahin designated four children of Singer’s clients as recruits for the USC women’s soccer team despite the fact that none of those children played competitive soccer.”

The indictment also calls for racketeering forfeitures in the amount of $356,047 against Khosroshahin and Janke, and another $75,000 against Khosroshahin.

Khosroshahin was a two-year (1989-90) soccer letterman at Cal State Fullerton before transferring to Cal State Los Angeles for his final two years (1991-92), according to his USC profile.

He graduated CSULA with a degree in business administration in 1994, then played with the Standard Falcons from 1995-96 and a with the Valley Eagles in 1997 in the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues. He held an “A” coaching license with the U.S. Soccer Federation.

Khosroshahin was head coach of women’s soccer for Cal State Fullerton for nearly six years, from March 2001 to December 2006. There, he earned Big West Coach of the Year honors three times and the team competed in three NCAA tournament.

He was USC’s women’s soccer coach for seven seasons, from January 2007 to November 2013. He led the team to a national championship in his first year and to NCAA tournament play four times. However, he was fired in 2013 after his teams scored less than .500 for three straight seasons.

Khosroshahin also coached internationally. He served as an assistant with Mexico during the 1999 Women’s World Cup. He was on Mexico’s U-19 Women’s National Program staff in 2004 and the U-20 team in 2005 and worked with the Mexican women’s team to prepare them to compete in the 2004 Olympics.

From March 2014 to December 2018, Khosroshahin founded a company named Road to College Soccer, “Empowering families and Perspective Student-Athletes to take control and find their Road To College Soccer,” according to his LinkedIn profile.

The company provided “advisement and mentoring for individuals and families, teams, clubs, schools” regarding academic standards, financial aid and planning, and “truths about recruiting from a college coach’s perspective.”

In January 2018, Khosroshahin was named a technical adviser for the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, a United Women’s Soccer league team.

“He left in September,” Blue Heat owner Carlos Marroquin told SCVNews Wednesday. Marroquin said Khosroshahin was a short-term unpaid consultant.

“No money,” he said.

“We have too many characters in Futbol and not enough people with character,” Khosroshahin tweeted on Jan. 19.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

1 Comment

  1. Jacob Springer says:

    SCV, a vastly and continuously growing community lots of projects/construction is going, but you do not keep the SCV residents informed as to the current status of these numerous projects such as the “Sand Canyon Plaza” project and others. why couldn’t this site have a section that keeps resident updated on current and future developments. All it takes is a couple of sentences to do so.
    I’ve asked the same question a few times before and receiver very nice replies such as “good idea,we’ll look into it”, but that’s the end of it.
    Thank you, JWS

Leave a Comment


SCV NewsBreak
LOCAL NEWS HEADLINES
Friday, Apr 19, 2024
April 27: Day at The Rocks Family Fun Event
Visit Vasquez Rock Natural Area and Nature Center for a Day at The Rocks, a family fun event and tribal celebration of the Village of Mapipinga. A Day at The Rocks will be held Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Thursday, Apr 18, 2024
June 1: Rare Warrior 24 Race Benefiting Project Sebastian
Join local nonprofit Project Sebastian for an exhilarating day of racing and community support at its Rare Warrior 24 race on Saturday, June 1, at Heritage Park in the heart of Santa Clarita.
Thursday, Apr 18, 2024
April 27: Drug Take Back Day at SCV Sheriff’s Station
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station Station deputies will be taking part in the “DEA National Drug Take Back Day,” Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in front of the SCV Sheriff’s Station, located at 26201 Golden Valley Road.
Keep Up With Our Facebook

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
Visit Vasquez Rock Natural Area and Nature Center for a Day at The Rocks, a family fun event and tribal celebration of the Village of Mapipinga. A Day at The Rocks will be held Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
April 27: Day at The Rocks Family Fun Event
Princess Cruises, headquartered in Valencia, and ship builder Fincantieri of Monfalcone, Italy have announced the mutual decision to postpone the delivery of the next Sphere Class ship, Star Princess.
Princess Cruises Postpones Delivery of Star Princess, Inaugural Cruises Cancelled
1880 - Pico Oil Spring Mine Section 2 patented by R.F. Baker and Edward F. Beale [story]
E.F. Beale
The Master's University men's golf team shot a 13-under 275 to finish second at the Golden State Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championships held at Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West, Ariz.
TMU Men’s Golf Places 2nd, Women 5th at GSAC Championships
Join local nonprofit Project Sebastian for an exhilarating day of racing and community support at its Rare Warrior 24 race on Saturday, June 1, at Heritage Park in the heart of Santa Clarita.
June 1: Rare Warrior 24 Race Benefiting Project Sebastian
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station Station deputies will be taking part in the “DEA National Drug Take Back Day,” Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., in front of the SCV Sheriff’s Station, located at 26201 Golden Valley Road.
April 27: Drug Take Back Day at SCV Sheriff’s Station
The College of the Canyons Center for Civic and Community Engagement—in collaboration with COC’s Golden Z Club—invites the community to attend the Nonprofit Community Resource Fair on Tuesday, April 30.
April 30: COC Hosts Nonprofit Community Resource Fair
College of the Canyons made quick work of visiting L.A. Valley College in a shortened 11-3 home victory that came on a day in which the program unveiled its newly named Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room during a pre-game dedication ceremony.
Lady Cougs Outslug L.A. Valley 11-3
For aspiring scientists at The Master’s University, taking up a student research project is no small commitment.
Retired Professor Continues to Mentor Aspiring TMU Scientists
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is warning residents not to use a Vietnamese herbal ointment called “Cao Bôi Trĩ Cây Thầu Dầu” (Castor Oil Hemorrhoid Extract) because it contains lead and can be fatal.
Public Health Urges Residents to Avoid Vietnamese Hemorrhoid Cream
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a California Apprenticeship Summit Wednesday to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and career technical education pathways that connect California’s youth to high-wage, high-growth career opportunities.
State Apprenticeship Summit Connects Youth to High-Wage Opportunities
College of the Canyons student-athletes Nichole Muro (softball) and Angelo Aleman (baseball) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 8-13.
COC Names Nichole Muro, Angelo Aleman Athletes of the Week
California State Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, announced Wednesday his bill improving transparency between parents and schools’ sexual education curricula passed out of the Senate Education Committee.
Wilk’s Sex Education Transparency Bill Clears Senate Committee
1945 - Actors Harry & Olive Carey sell Saugus ranch after 29 years; now Tesoro del Valle [story]
Carey Ranch
The 76.6-mile-long Antelope Valley Line has the third-highest ridership in Metrolink’s system with an estimated average of 9,000 passengers daily. However, the uneven terrain and single-tracking along the line in some areas forces trains to travel at a slower speed which results in an estimated travel time of approximately one hour between Santa Clarita and Union Station.
Metrolink to Hold Public Meetings on AV Line Capacity, Improvements
Team Dragon Eyes, affectionately known as TDE, is gearing up to host its highly anticipated Fifth Annual Dragonboat Festival race on Saturday, June 1 at Castaic Lake, Lower Lagoon.
June 1: Team Dragon Eyes to Host Fifth Annual Dragonboat Festival Race
This year marks the 20th year that the city of Santa Clarita has been hosting the annual Bike to Work Challenge. The community is invited to celebrate by riding a bike to work the week of May 13, and stopping by a pit stop on Thursday, May 16.
Party at the Pit Stop, City Paves Way for 20th Annual Bike to Work Challenge
Ready to take control of your financial future? Join the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs Center for Financial Empowerment for the next installment in the Lunch & Learn Financial Capability Month webinar series, "Understanding Credit.
Online Financial Workshops with County DCBA
The Santa Clarita Valley Concert Band will perform a "Starry Might" concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday May 4. The concert, under the direction of Tim Durand, will be held at the Canyon Theatre Guild, 24242 Main St., Newhall, CA 91321.
May 4: SCV Concert Band Presents ‘Starry Night’ at CTG
After a record-setting 2023 combatting organized retail crime, the California Highway Patrol continues to aggressively disrupt and dismantle illegal operations throughout California.
CHP Continues Organized Retail Crime Crackdown, Recovers $4.2M in Goods
Celebrate Earth Day on Monday, April 22 with California State Parks at any of the 280 unique park units across the state. State Parks has numerous Earth Day-themed events planned. They include in-person activities such as guided walks and hikes, workdays and a bioblitz, as well as virtual programming with a live dive broadcast exploring the hidden world of the ocean.
April 22: Celebrate Earth Day at California State Parks
1930 - Telephone switchboard operator Louise Gipe, heroine of the 1928 St. Francis Dam disaster, tries & fails to kill herself over an unrequited love [story]
Louise Gipe
Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Major Crimes Bureau Detectives worked closely with Century Station Detectives after learning of a serial robbery crew committing crimes throughout Los Angeles County. 
Serial Robbery Crew Arrested
Join the Samuel Dixon Family Health Center for their second annual Cornhole Tournament fundraiser where all proceeds will support mental health services to anyone in need.
May 18: Samuel Dixon Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser
SCVNews.com