By John Mariani
The Post-Standard
November 25, 2011
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/11/authorities_search_home_of_su.html
Police from several agencies this afternoon began searching the home of Syracuse University assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine.
Four state troopers stood at 2:25 p.m at the foot of the driveway at Fine's home at 7001 Tiffany Circle. Other officers could be seen outside the house; three appeared to be looking through a trash can as Fine's wife, Laurie, stood nearby.
A Syracuse Police crime scene van was parked up the driveway near the home. Three marked state police cars and three marked city police cruisers were parked on the street. So were six or more civilian vehicles, although it was uncertain which belonged to police and which to media.
A state police officer said several agencies were executing a search warrant. The search began about 1:45 p.m., he said.
Shortly after 3 p.m., police officers could be seen talking to Fine at the door of his house.
The state police officer referred all other questions to the U.S. Attorney's office in Albany, as did Syracuse Police spokesman Tom Connellan.
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| With Laurie Fine, wife of assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine, nearby, Syracuse police pick through trash at the Fines' house on Tiffany Circle, DeWitt. |
Assistant U.S Attorney William Pericak, reached in Albany, said he could not confirm nor deny any activity taking place.
As the search continued, police could be seen walking the knolls that line two sides of the Fine property. Three officers later were seen moving patio furniture out from behind the home's attached garage. A man with a jacket that read "Police Secret Service" made several trips to car parked by the front door. He carried boxes and envelopes insidel
One officer could be seen taking multiple flash photos of a room on the second floor of
Fine's house.
Just before 8 p.m., Syracuse polic. wheeled a two-foot high metal filing cabinet down the driveway of the home and loaded it on the back of a Syracuse police-owned pickup truck. About 15 minutes later, a four-foot, metal filing cabinet was also wheeled out and loaded into the back of the truck. A second 4-foot cabinet followed the first another 15 minutes later.
All the drawers on the cabinets were secured with tape repeatedly marked with the word "Evidence."
At 9 p.m., the officers left from the front door of Fine's home.
One could be heard to say "I tried to be as nice as I could" to another officer as they walked down the driveway.
By 9:10 p.m., all the officers drove off, accompanied by the pickup truck with the file cabinets. About 10 minutes later, the television camera crews followed.
Neighbors occasionally drove or strolled past. Otherwise it was quiet with only the drone of idling police cars and the bark of a distant dog to break the silence. Nothing stirred at the home of head coach Jim Boeheim across the street.
The effort comes eight days after allegations became public accusing Fine of having sexually abused two men, now adults, beginning when they were teens. Fine has denied the allegations. The university placed him on administrative leave.
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