The office of fired Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine was searched Tuesday, FOXSports.com confirmed.
Like last Friday’s raid of his home, the search of Fine’s office in the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center was carried out by US Secret Service agents and comes amid child-molestation allegations against the former longtime assistant. The warrant for both searches was sought by assistant US attorney Steven Clymer, according to a person with knowledge of the investigation who is not authorized to speak because the warrants are sealed.
A copy of the warrant had not yet been filed at the US District Court’s clerk’s office as of Wednesday evening, which is typically the case since such documents are usually only unsealed when charges are brought against an individual. (The subject of the search can also release copies of the warrant.) The local Syracuse newspaper, The Post-Standard, was the first to report about the existence of the second search warrant.
Executive assistant US attorney John G. Duncan would not comment about what federal authorities — who took over the investigation from local law enforcement — were looking for in either search. Duncan, however, did tell FOXSports.com why the US Secret Service, and not the FBI, was tapped to conduct the inquiry.
“Yes, the US Secret Service is usually thought of as the agency that protects the president,” Duncan said, “but they are also well-trained when it comes to computer forensics. That really came into play when it came to the decision.”
Computers reportedly were seized from Fine’s house, although what — if anything — was taken by federal agents from his former office has not been disclosed.
When contacted Wednesday, a representative of Fine’s lawyer, Karl Sleight, referred FOXSports.com back to Sunday’s statement. In that statement, Sleight said, “Any comment from (Fine) would only invite and perpetuate ancient and suspect claims.”
Fine has maintained his innocence. Three men — including two former Syracuse ball boys — have alleged that Fine sexually abused them when they were youths.
Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim told reporters after Tuesday’s 84-48 victory over Eastern Michigan — the Orange’s first game since Fine was fired Sunday — that he was not worried about how the investigation would unfold.
“I do my job,” Boeheim said. “What happened on my watch, we will see. When the investigation is done, we’ll see what happened on my watch. We don’t know what happened on my watch right now.”
