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Jerome Allen facing suspension by Celtics after guilty plea, reports say

Boston Celtics assistant coach Jerome Allen pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to accepting an $18,000 bribe in 2014, according to multiple reports.

Allen's plea agreement with the government requires Allen to repay the $18,000 in addition to a $200,000 fine.

Allen, who joined the Boston staff in 2015, will remain on the staff but will likely face a suspension, according to multiple reports.

At the time, Allen was the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania and accepted the $18,000 bribe from the father of a prospective student "for the purpose of using my position as coach to help his son get admitted to the school as a 'listed' recruit," Allen said in a statement.

"I failed on many levels," said Allen in a statement. "Primarily, I had a failure of character. I did not live up to the high standards I set for myself, or were expected of me in the position that I held.

"I am heartbroken that my players -- current and former -- will know that I broke the law. But, I do hope that some good may come out of this. I wish to model to my young players how one accepts responsibility for wrongdoing, including the consequences that come from unlawful behavior."