Feb 16, 2009 10:04 am US/Eastern
USF Professor Accused Of Helping Steal Bicycle
TAMPA, Fla. (CBS4) ―
A dean at the University of South Florida is in hot water after helping a transient hit the road on a bicycle that wasn't his. Abdul Rao is a senior associated vice-president for research for the South Florida Bulls. He was captured on video last week driving to some loading docks where the bike was parked and then leaving after another man loaded it.
Rao said he wanted to help a semi-homeless man who performs his odd jobs for him. The student who owns the bike also alleges Rao called him to lie to police.
The student claimed he doesn't know Rao, so he couldn't tell investigators it was a misunderstanding. Rao's annual salary at USF is around $384 thousand. He is on leave while police and school officials investigate, but denied asking the owner to lie and called the entire event a lapse in judgment.
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