'Raw greed': RI tennis legend Gordie Ernst gets longest sentence in admissions scandal

Gordon "Gordie" Ernst, a Rhode Island tennis legend, was sentenced Friday to 30 months in prison — the longest sentence yet for a defendant in the "Operation Varsity Blues" case.

Ernst, 55, previously pleaded guilty to multiple bribery charges after being swept up in the federal investigation into dubious college admission schemes.

Prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts had argued that Ernst warranted a significantly harsher sentence than others charged in the case because of his "raw greed" and the "breathtaking scale" of his offenses.

Ernst, in his appeal for leniency, portrayed himself as the product of a difficult upbringing in Cranston in a family that sometimes struggled to make ends meet but seemed from the outside to be the pinnacle of athletic success. He alleged that he was routinely beaten by his father, Richard “Dick” Ernst, a legendary coach who died in 2016. 

According to prosecutors, Ernst accepted nearly $3.5 million in bribes while working as tennis coach at Georgetown University, in exchange for identifying wealthy high-school students who would not have otherwise qualified for the team as promising tennis recruits.

He collected at least $2 million more than any other coach or administrator charged in Operation Varsity Blues, according to the government's sentencing memo.

'A culture of cheating?': National Grid cheated the system, overcharged RI ratepayers up to $2.2 million

Ernst, in his letter to Judge Indira Talwani, apologized and said that he sincerely regretted his actions. He portrayed himself as a survivor of a difficult childhood, saying that his brother fell victim to drug addiction and later died of an overdose.

"My father was more of a coach and tyrant than a dad," he wrote. "Often he was overcome by rage when my mother, brothers and I didn't meet his high expectations or demands. At times when I had failed in his eyes, he beat me to the point of bruises and injuries [...] It was a confusing and chaotic time especially because I also revered and loved him for his larger-than-life character and how he was perceived in the community."

Ernst said that since his arrest, he has worked part-time at Hertz cleaning cars – a significant fall from the days when he was brought into the White House to give tennis lessons to the Obama family. He still coaches tennis on a part-time basis, he said, and volunteered at COVID vaccination sites on Cape Cod.

Federal prosecutors had requested a sentence of four years in prison and two years of supervised release, plus the forfeiture of more than $3.4 million.

They noted that unlike parents charged in the scheme, Ernst "cannot claim to have acted out of a desire to help his own children gain admission to college."

Speed cameras are big business: With school out, cities turn off speed cameras. Here's how many tickets they gave out

Ernst "helped to undermine the very integrity of the higher education system, which already favors those with money and privilege," the sentencing memo states.

Ernst's attorneys argued that their client should not receive more than one year and a day in prison, given the much lighter sentences given to other defendants, and should not be ordered to pay restitution.

In their sentencing memo, Ernst's legal team described the coach as "a kid from Cranston, Rhode Island whose family at times depended on public assistance," and "flew too close to the sun" when he found himself surrounded by power and wealth.

Mark Patinkin: Providence cop's quiet act of kindness is captured on Facebook

Accepting bribes "allowed him to give his family many of the privileges that otherwise would have been out of his financial reach," the defense team said.

Ernst's attorneys made the case that he has already faced the consequence of becoming a "pariah" in the community because of the high-profile nature of the case.

"Gordie’s reputation has been forever tarnished," the sentencing memo states.

The sentencing took place at federal court in Boston.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: College admissions scandal: RI native Gordie Ernst sentenced