PITTSBURGH -- After being investigated for nearly two years, Dr. Cyril Wecht was indicted by a federal grand jury and replaced as Allegheny County's medical examiner Friday morning.

The 84-count indictment includes charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, theft of honest services and theft from the office that Wecht headed.

Wecht allegedly used county employees and resources to perform various functions -- including billing, lab work and transportation -- for a private pathology business that he runs on the side, according to the indictment.

County employees also allegedly took out Wecht's trash and campaigned for him, according to the indictment.

"Essentially, these employees were paid by the county to do personal business for Wecht," said U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan in a news conference.

Similar allegations were investigated in the 1980s, Team 4's Jim Parsons reported. Wecht was charged and later acquitted.

Also under investigation are allegations that public employees chauffeured the medical examiner and members of his family during personal trips.

George Hollis, a former histologist in Wecht's office, and Dr. Leon Rozin, former chief forensic pathologist, are also named in the indictment.

Wecht, 74, had his elected office of coroner eliminated by voters in May. Chief Executive Dan Onorato named him the county's first-ever medical examiner last month, under the condition that Wecht would resign if indicted.

Onorato had Wecht's resignation letter on file. He said it became effective Friday, and he named Dr. Abdulrezak Shakir, a county forensic pathologist, as the acting medical examiner.

Wecht, leaving his downtown office on Friday afternoon, told Team 4 that he is innocent.

One charge in the indictment alleges that Wecht, who teaches at Carlow University, traded unclaimed bodies to the school in exchange for laboratory space.

"At no time did Carlow trade laboratory space for cadavers," according to a statement released by the school. "Carlow believed that Dr. Wecht was acting lawfully and that the autopsies performed were part of his private practice and had no relationship to his duties as County Coroner."

Wecht also teaches at Duquesne University. That school's Institute of Forensic Science and Law is named for him.

Nationally, Wecht is known for his involvement in such high-profile cases as the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the deaths of JonBenet Ramsey and Laci Peterson.