The first day of a federal criminal trial of former Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril H. Wecht has recessed for the day while still in the middle of direct examination of the government's first witness.

Edward Strimlan, chief investigator for the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office, who worked under Dr. Wecht, testified for more than two hours today about the various errands and chores he and other deputy coroners did for Dr. Wecht and his family, which were regularly referred to in the office as "Wecht details."

Having county employees do private work for Dr. Wecht is one of the main allegations included in the government's 41-count case against the world-renowned forensic pathologist.

Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Wilson will continue his questioning of Mr. Strimlan when court resumes tomorrow morning.

In its opening statement this morning, the prosecution painted its case against Dr. Wecht as one that is relatively simple, despite the number of charges filed and the expected 10 weeks it will take to try.

"In plain English, what he did, is stole," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen S. Stallings, "and for the same reason people have stolen for thousands of years. To make more money, because he thought he could get away with it."

In his 41-minute opening statement, Mr. Stallings outlined for the jury all of the prosecution's allegations:

• That Dr. Wecht used his county administrative assistants to run his private business, Cyril H. Wecht & Pathology Associates Inc.

• That he used deputy county coroners as his private go-fers -- using them to drive him and his family to functions, and as couriers;

• That he used one of two county histologists almost exclusively to process slides for his private company;

• That he took at least 16 unclaimed bodies form the county morgue and provided them to Carlow University in exchange for use of the school's anatomy lab;

• That he defrauded his private clients by inflating the prices they paid for his travel.

"He sent fake receipts," Mr. Stallings said.

He used as an example an invoice for a June 2004 trip to Philadelphia. That bill, supposedly from a travel agency that went out of business years earlier, showed that Dr. Wecht paid $604.70 in round-trip airfare from Pittsburgh, as well as a $90 limousine charge to and from the airport.

In reality, Mr. Stallings said, Dr. Wecht paid $273.70 for that flight.

"He did this again, and again, and again."

But lead defense attorney Jerry McDevitt characterized the discrepancy in airfare as nothing more than "routine billing errors."

"Not one of his private clients ever complained to him or the government," Mr. McDevitt said. "Every one of those district attorneys continued to hire him -- to this day."

He said the "go-fer" work performed by deputy coroners were "favors," for Dr. Wecht and his family.

"Did any of it truly affect the function of the office?" Mr. McDevitt asked the jury to consider. "Or was it a man getting a little bit of help?"

He told the jurors that the wire fraud charges for using the fax machine cost the county a total $3.31, and that a total of 24 faxes were sent between 2002 and 2005.

The improper mileage charges Dr. Wecht billed to outside counties for private work, Mr. McDevitt said, totaled $141.19.

"Ask yourself, is the intent here to rip off the people of Allegheny County," he instructed the jury. "For decades, this man has been a unique part of the fabric of this city, this county, this state and this country."

He peppered his opening with references to Dr. Wecht's "brilliance," his work ethic and his reputation as one of the foremost forensic pathologists in the world.

Mr. McDevitt also tried to outline for the jury what he saw as weaknesses in the prosecution's case.

But nearly each time, he was cut off by an objection from Mr. Stallings. All of which -- with just one exception -- were sustained by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.

"When you hear all the evidence in this case . . . and we're going to try to get it to you . . . Dr. Wecht was probably the most competent public official we've ever had in this county."

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.