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Pittsburgh Cops Send Alleged Bernie Fine Incident To Feds

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Federal prosecutors in New York are handling the entire child sex abuse investigation involving fired Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine — including an allegation that he molested a boy in a Pittsburgh hotel room in 2002.

Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki says 23-year-old Zach Tomaselli, of Lewiston, Maine called city police after Stangrecki issued a news release Monday saying police were aware of his allegations against Fine.

Stangrecki says Pittsburgh investigators never formally interviewed Tomaselli after learning the U.S. Attorney's Office in Syracuse, N.Y. is investigating Tomaselli's account, as well as those of two former Syracuse ball boys who have accused Fine of molesting them.

On Anderson Cooper's afternoon talk show on CBS Wednesday, Tomaselli said he has offered to take a lie detector test, has cooperated with investigators and that there is outside evidence to corroborate his story. He declined to describe the evidence.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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