See more information about the disciplinary reports of FBI agent Bradley W. Orsini.
After more than a year of argument and appeals, a federal judge has released the disciplinary reports of the lead FBI agent investigating the case against former Allegheny County Coroner Dr. Cyril H. Wecht.
Unsealed this afternoon, the two separate disciplinary reports outline a variety of allegations against Special Agent Bradley W. Orsini.
In one instance, dating to November 1998, Mr. Orsini was suspended for five days without pay for signing fellow agents' names to evidence and packaging, which he said was to save time.
In another instance, on Sept. 24, 2001, Mr. Orsini received a 30-day suspension without pay; a demotion from supervisory special agent to special agent; 12 months probation and mandatory sensitivity training for a number of incidents that dated back to 1993.
Included in those allegations were charges that he performed a search of a man's home without having a consent form filled out; that he had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate; that he threatened physical assault on a subordinate; damaged government property; made inappropriate and insensitive remarks regarding sexual orientation; and played a tape recording with vulgar sexual content in the squad area.
Although Mr. Orsini helped investigate the Wecht case, the prosecution does not intend to call him as a witness or have him present any of the evidence seized, according to papers filed by the government. So the agent's background is not relevant, prosecutors said.
Dr. Wecht's attorneys had sought release of the records.
Dr. Wecht has been accused of using his public office for private gain.
In addition, U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab vacated an order he issued previously, in which he planned to hold a contempt hearing for Dr. Wecht's attorneys for their failure to follow his orders.
He wrote: "this Court considers the 'time-out' caused by the interlocutory appeal to the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit as providing an opportunity for a 'fresh start.' "
More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
First Published: July 11, 2007, 5:15 p.m.
