Indictment Against Phelps Client Dismissed Before Trial in “Varsity Blues” Case

The prosecution dismissed all charges against our client, Bill Ferguson, who had been indicted in the “Varsity Blues” college admissions case. Ferguson is the only defendant against whom the U.S. Attorney’s Office voluntarily dismissed all charges prior to trial.

Beginning in March 2019, the U.S. Attorney in Massachusetts brought a sweeping set of indictments against individuals that it claimed paid or received bribes in exchange for admitting students to elite colleges as student-athletes, even though the applicants were not Division I-caliber athletes. In the end, 51 individuals were convicted, and the case became known as “Varsity Blues” in the national news media.  

Phelps represented former University of Southern California and Wake Forest University volleyball coach William “Bill” Ferguson. He entered a “not guilty” plea to the charges, and over the next two years, his legal team met several times with prosecutors. In 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed that it would ultimately dismiss the charges against him. On Oct. 18, 2023, the U.S. Attorney officially filed the dismissal of all charges. The prosecution did not voluntarily dismiss charges against any of the other “Varsity Blues” defendants prior to trial.

Phelps partner Shaun Clarke commented, “Bill and his family have shown a lot of courage over this nearly five-year-long ordeal. They are thrilled to get on with their lives.” Shaun also praised the work of his co-counsel, Kearns Davis of Brooks Pierce in North Carolina and Dane Ball of Smyser Kaplan Veselka in Houston. “This was a team effort on Bill’s behalf, and those guys were great to work with.”