Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - Nearly one year ago Bernie Fine lost his job
as an assistant basketball coach at Syracuse University after accusations of
sexual abuse of minors.
On Friday, the U.S. Attorney's office closed its investigation because of
"insufficient evidence."
Fine was fired last November amid allegations of sexual abuse by former ball
boys Bobby Davis and Mike Lang. A third man, Zach Tomaselli, soon came forward
with similar accusations, then later admitted to lying, as did a fourth
accuser.
"We have concluded that the investigation has not developed sufficient
credible evidence of the commission of a prosecutable offense to merit either
federal charges or a referral to a district attorney's office for state
prosecution," the U.S. Attorney's office wrote in a statement Friday.
"The closure of our investigation does not constitute a determination of what
did or did not happen -- only that a thorough investigation has not revealed
sufficient admissible evidence to obtain and sustain a federal conviction. Mr.
Fine retains the presumption of innocence that is an integral part of our
system of justice."
Fine has not been prosecuted for any of the allegations and has denied any
wrongdoing.
Last December, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick called
accusers Davis and Lang credible, but also said his office could not file
charges at the time because the statute of limitations had passed.
Davis and Lang accused Fine of molesting them when they were boys, starting in
the 1980s.
The 66-year-old Fine had been Jim Boeheim's top assistant at Syracuse since
1976. Boeheim steadfastly first defended Fine, a friend since the 1960s, but
quickly backtracked and said he was wrong to question the accusers' motives.
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