Tennis coach charged in admissions scheme appears in court

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A former Georgetown University tennis coach accused of taking $2.7 million in bribes as part of a massive college admissions scheme has made his initial court appearance.

A federal magistrate in Maryland agreed Tuesday to free 52-year-old Gordon Ernst on $200,000 bond after his arrest on a racketeering conspiracy charge.

He's among 50 people charged in the scheme involving wealthy parents and elite university coaches. Court documents allege Ernst was paid more than $2.7 million and designated at least 12 applicants as recruits to facilitate their admission.

Georgetown spokeswoman Meghan Dubyak says Ernst hasn't coached there since December 2017 after an investigation found he violated university admissions rules. The University of Rhode Island says Ernst, who was hired as head women's tennis coach in August, was placed on administrative leave.