TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

State Attorney To Review USF Dean's Bicycle Case

ADVERTISEMENT

By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 16, 2009

TAMPA - The state attorney's office will decide whether to file charges against a University of South Florida dean accused of stealing a student's bike, USF police officials said Monday.

Abdul Rao, a senior associate vice president for the university, had admitted to taking the bike outside the Byrd Alzheimer's Center last week – an act caught on video that spread virally on YouTube – but said he planned to return it.

He said he offered it to a handyman doing work for him and didn't think it belonged to a student.

But the bike's owner, doctoral student Timothy Boyd, said Monday he won't relent until Rao is charged. Boyd said he lent the bike to a student, who was seen on a security camera parking the bike before Rao arrived to load it in a minivan.

In its initial report, the university police department classified the act as misdemeanor theft. Lt. Meg Ross said the department on Monday asked the Hillsborough state attorney's office to investigate.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT