Dr. Cyril Wecht's chief autopsy technician in his private practice appeared in court Tuesday on federal tax charges and was released on bond pending trial.

Joseph Mancuso, who has been Dr. Wecht's private technician for many years, was indicted Feb. 16 on charges of filing false income tax returns for 2003, 2004 and 2005. He was arraigned Tuesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy Bissoon and released on a $30,000 bond.

A federal grand jury said Mr. Mancuso understated his income for those years by, respectively, $20,678, $22,220 and $11,686.

Dr. Wecht said today that the case, which grew out of the failed prosecution against him on charges of misusing the Allegheny County coroner's office for private gain, is "another unfortunate, regrettable manifestation of the vicious work" done by the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office in pursuing him and his associates.

He said Mr. Mancuso will continue to work for him on a contract basis, as he has long done, regardless of the tax case.

George Hollis, another of Dr. Wecht's close associates and the former chief histologist at the medical examiner's office, is scheduled to be sentenced on tax charges next week.

Both Mr. Mancuso and Mr. Hollis were on the prosecution's list of witnesses in the case against Dr. Wecht, but neither testified.

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