Police and other government agencies reportedly searched the home of Syracuse assistant Bernie Fine as part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of child molestation on Friday. Word of the police investigation surfaced on Nov. 17, when ESPN ran a report that included allegations levied against Fine by a former Syracuse ball boy. Since the report initially aired, Fine and Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim have vehemently denied the accusations.
According to the report, which comes from Syracuse.com, the involvement of the Secret Service may indicate a serious step in the investigation.
The search suggests the probe has taken a new direction and involves allegations of more recent behavior than accusations of long-ago abuse, said veteran criminal defense attorney Edward Z. Menkin, of Syracuse, who is not involved in the case. “To me, it indicates this is a serious step in a new direction ...,” he said. “Common sense tells me it’s unlikely in the extreme that it has anything to do with the allegations reported on ESPN or The Post-Standard.”
Additionally, an expert cited in the report hypothesizes that the search may include Fine's computer, and potentially electronic materials. At this point, though, everything is conjecture with regards to the investigation and search of Fine's home, and nobody knows exactly what police were looking for or if the investigation has expanded further.
For more on these developments, visit Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician.