Wecht Trial Continues: Defense Cross-Examines Former Secretary

PITTSBURGH -- Cross-examination began on Monday in the federal case against a former Allegheny County coroner.

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Dr. Cyril Wecht, who has led inquiries into the deaths of Elvis Presley, JonBenet Ramsey and Vincent Foster among others, is accused of using his government staff as bookkeepers, secretaries, couriers and gofers for his family and his private pathology practice.

Prosecutors said Wecht, 76, illegally used the county workers to cut costs in his private practice, which grossed nearly $9 million from 1997 through 2004. He never made more than $64,000 a year as county coroner.

On Monday, Wecht's defense team began using former Wecht secretary Eileen Young's testimony to try to show there was nothing wrong with his consulting with his private clients while at the coroner's office.

The defense is doing so by documenting that many of those private clients visiting him were state prosecutors and law enforcement officers from other western Pennsylvania counties.

Defense attorney Mark Rush, while keeping a running tally of 15 state prosecutors:

"Did any of these ever express any concern whatsoever about meeting at the Allegheny County Coroner's Office?" defense attorney Mark Rush asked Young.

Her response was, "No."

Rush then asked, "Did they ever express any concern this may be a violation of the federal mail fraud statute?"

Again, Young answered, "No."

"One thing the government has clearly established is that if state police or a prosecutor wanted to reach Dr. Wecht, they knew where to reach him," Rush said.

Young agreed.

"They called him at the coroner's office," said Rush.

Wecht's defense also documented as many as eight state police troopers' meeting with Wecht at the coroner's office to consult with him privately on homicide cases outside Allegheny County.

"Did any of these state troopers express any concerns they may somehow be violating federal laws?" Rush asked Young, who answered, "No."

"They were interested in investigating murders, correct?" Rush asked Young, who answered, "Yes."

Wecht's attorneys also spent hours using the witness to give examples in which Wecht did not overcharge clients for his airfare.

Their argument was that the figures billed were based on pre-flight estimates provided by the airline, not by the actual credit card bills after the fact. They also showed some instances in which private clients were undercharged.

"Did you ever set out to defraud any clients out of an airfare charge for Dr. Wecht?" asked Rush.

"I would never do that," said Young. "I never reconciled the credit card charge with what I pre-billed."

"Did Dr. Wecht ever say, 'Let's pad these airfares?'" Rush asked.

"No," Young said. "He would never ask me to do that."

Wecht's trial is set to resume again on Tuesday.

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