The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 26

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1991 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR- Ex-administrator admits fraud C-2 BRIEFLY Indiana FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS center's business operations in March 1988. During the rest of that year, Coughlin Illegally paid himself nearly $20,000 more than the $50,376 he was authorized to receive in salary and bonuses. In 1989. Couhglin illegally obtained about $106,000 more than authorized. In 1990, the figure was about $183,000.

He was fired In January 1991. Coughlin also Illegally used the center to pay for a 1987 BMW 325ES and a 1990 Porsche 944 he drove. ments filed in U.S. District Court. Coughlin.

40, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud as part of an agreement with federal prosecutors. He faces a prison term of up to 30 years and a fine of $250,000. In addition, Daniels said, Coughlin has agreed to repay the money he stole. Orthopaedics-Indianapolis, 1801 North Senate Boulevard, employs about 16 orthopedic surgeons and numerous other medical and administrative personnel. Coughlin was hired to run the was able to hide the Illegal transactions because he controlled all of the center's payroll functions and Its bank accounts.

For example. Daniels said, Coughlin concealed a $156,000 diversion to himself by showing It was paid to Dr. Henry Stein, a center employee. At the time, though. Stein was in Saudi Arabia, serving as a U.S.

Army physician during Operation Desert Storm. With no effective oversight, Coughlin was able to illegally transfer about $309,000 from 1988 to 1991, according to docu By JAMES G. NEWLAND Jr. STAR STAFF WRITER The former administrator of a Near-Northside orthopedic medical center pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges that he Illegally diverted more than $300,000 from the center's bank accounts. In addition to paying himself large and unauthorized bonuses from the accounts of Orthopaedics-Indianapolis Timothy J.

Coughlin admitted to wrongly charging the center for the luxury automobiles he drove. According to U.S. Attorney Deborah J. Daniels. Coughlin STAR STAFF PHOTO GUY REYNOLDS FAA investigator Bill Devine checks helicopter for cause of crash.

BEECH GROVE Helicopter smashed, but no injuries in crash 17 4 5900 Elmwood Avenue, said company spokeswoman Donna Rice. Black and Skidmore work for Miami Valley Pressure Cleaning Inc. in Troy and were at Farm Fans to estimate the cost of cleaning a paint room. The helicopter is owned by Miami Valley Air of Troy. The aircraft was about 10 feet off the ground before it crash-landed.

The occupants crawled out of the wreckage and later returned home by car. The Federal Aviation Administration will Investigate the crash. A helicopter pilot and two passengers were shaken but uninjured Wednesday when the helicopter crashed as it departed a Beech Grove parking lot. authorities said. Pilot James Zimmerman, 54, of Celina, Ohio, and passengers Brent Black, 30, of Tipp City, Ohio, and Carol Skidmore, 32, of Troy.

Ohio, escaped Injury in the 10:50 a.m. accident, said Beech Grove Police Department Detective Rich Witmer. The three were leaving the corporate offices of Farm Fans FRANKLIN County seeking economic development edge Aubin said. He said the corporation will help existing businesses expand and will work to attract new companies to Johnson County. The corporation hired Patrick Vercauteren, a former official with the Indiana Department of Commerce, as its executive director.

"We felt this would give the county a competitive edge," Aubin said. "We recognize the benefits of having a professional economic development group working for us." Businesses and communities in Johnson County have formed a non-profit organization to encourage economic development throughout the county. The Johnson County Development Corp. will be funded by contributions from companies and cities In the county, said Chester Aubin, president of the organization. He said it has received commitments for $350,000.

Including a $50,000 state grant. The organization hopes to raise $550,000 to operate over the next three years, TERRE HAUTE STAR STAFF.PHOTO KELLY WILKINSON Drug-sniffing dogs roamed the halls and parking lots of Broad Ripple and Emmerich Manual high schools Tuesday as part of a continuing crackdown in the IPS schools. Here, Officer Ron Mills and companion Sam check lockers in a Broad Ripple photography class. Security check finds Ripple drug-free 3rd search in a week has students puzzled Dispute changes ballot application procedure lot applications with those on registration cards. "It would be a lot easier if Debbie Kirk would cooperate.

I'm puzzled and concerned about why she won't cooperate," said James Bopp a Terre Haute attorney and Republican member of the election board. Signatures on applications and ballots will be checked against voter registration cards by a bipartisan team, officials said. However, copies of registration cards will be made in the registration office on the first floor of the courthouse and taken up to the absentee-voter office on the second floor. The three-member Vigo County Election Board voted unanimously Wednesday for the absentee-voter office to be responsible for verifying signatures on requests for mail-In ballots. Originally, the voter registration office would have handled the check.

However, a dispute surfaced last week between members of the voter registration board, officials said. Sally Stokes, Republican member of the registration board, alleged that Debbie Kirk, Democratic member of the same board, prevented her from comparing signatures on mail-in bal- FORT WAYNE By LYNN FORD STAR STAFF WRITER Broad Ripple High School underwent a third security check in less than a week on Wednesday this time with drug-sniffing dogs and students wondered if their school was being unfairly singled out. "It looks suspicious," said James Boozer 16, a Junior. "They must think we're all doing drugs and carrying weapons." No illegal substances turned up Wednesday as Indianapolis Police Department dogs checked lockers and cars at Broad Ripple and Emmerich Manual high schools. "We are drug-free!" Broad Ripple Principal Larry McCloud told cheering students In a public-address announcement that followed the afternoon search.

Despite such excitement, many Broad Ripple students were stung by the potential impact of publicity and perceptions generated by recent events in the school at 1115 Broad Ripple Avenue. Last Friday, a metal-detector search at Broad Ripple netted a loaded sawed-off shotgun, a revolver and three student arrests. No such weapons surfaced In a second Broad Ripple sweep on Monday the first repeat since Indianapolis Public Schools began Its random searches last month. "It's not fair," James said. "I love this school, but I don't want to tell people I go to Broad Ripple now." David Scott, 18.

a Junior, agreed: "If I meet a girl and tell her I go to Broad Ripple, her parents are going to say: 'Don't talk to him! He goes to Broad Ripple he's got drugs and shotguns!" IPS security chief Jack Martin said the Broad Ripple and Manual drug sweeps were spawned by previous Incidents or arrests at the two schools. IPD can't take part In such searches unless IPS officials have reason to suspect Illegal substances are being used or sold in a particular school. Martin said the Broad Ripple drug sweep was conducted because small amounts of suspected cocaine, marijuana and barbiturates turned up in last Friday's metal-detector search. He also said a Broad Ripple student is being investigated because of information provided to IPD and IPS officials. Martin declined to provide any details.

In addition, he said, two Manual students have been arrested on drug charges since school began in August, with one case Involving LSD and the other marijuana. Many viewed the Manual drug sweep as Ironic because the school at 2405 Madison Avenue has twice earned national recognition for its anti-substance abuse program. The biggest honor came last year when President Bush presented Manual with an award from the National Board of Educators for Drug-Free Schools. "No school is immune." IPS Superintendent Shirl E. Gilbert II said while monitoring the Manual search.

"Our effort is to turn our schools into safe, drug-free zones." Robert Hignite. the school's drug-education coordinator, said he supports the drug sweeps although substance abuse doesn't appear to be a major problem at Manual. "We have ongoing programs to combat any problems that exist, and we need to do more," Hignite said. "I don't want any kids hurt. We've got too many good kids." Man searches for his long-lost 'Big Brother' House OKs Evansville-Indy 1-69 extension he was embarrassed when she took him to the barber shop.

The boy was matched with a 6-foot man with jet-black hair and big, dark-rimmed glasses. When Fisher's mother remarried. Big Brothers ordered Novotny and Fisher to end their relationship "so I could bond with my stepfather." Fisher said. Fisher, now 26 and the father of two girls, contacted the agency last year to help him find his buddy. His search was featured on NBC's Unsolved Mysteries.

Jeff Fisher has launched a manhunt, of sorts, to find his "Big Brother" from 20 years ago. Fisher wants John Novotny to know that he turned out OK after all. "I Just want to know what happened to him. I am prepared for whatever I find out. I'd love to catch up on our friendship," said Fisher of Fort Wayne.

Fisher was 6 when his mother, Linda, enrolled him in Elkhart's Big Brothers of America program. She was worried about him growing up without a father: INDIANAPOLIS Long-awaited project would bolster region's infrastructure SS "It doesn't take a rocket scl- western Indiana," Hamilton Currently Ir Currently ASSOCIATED PRESS said. Indiana receives 79 cents of every dollar it pays in taxes. The rate of return would entist to see that there is a major Vigil to promote domestic-violence awareness Washington The House voted Wednesday to approve a major transportation bill that authorizes surface programs for the next six years, including $32.5 million to extend 1-69 from Indianapolis to Evansville. The bill designated the highway as part of a "high priority" corridor stretching from Indiana-polls to Memphis, one of only 20 such corridors nationwide, said Reps.

Frank McClos-key and Lee Hamilton, both The extension of 1-69 would connect to Texarkana, Texas, on the Mexican border via 1-40 and 1-30. Approximately $28 million of the $32.5 million would be used for development of the highway between Bloomlngton and Newberry. The remaining funds are designated for construction. The House bill also would Increase the percentage of federal highway taxes paid by Hoosiers that are returned to Indiana. hole in the transportation grid of southwestern Indiana," McClos-key said.

"In essence, Evansville, the third-largest city In Indiana with a metropolitan population of 279,000. is artificially Isolated from the capital city of Indianapolis. Right now, the entire region is deprived of significant north-south access." "Extending the highway from Indianapolis to Evansville is an Important investment in improving the infrastructure of south Increase to 87 cents under the new bill. The total funding allocated to Indiana over the six-year period of the bill is nearly $2.5 billion, or an average of $400 million annually. The state currently receives $270 million annually.

The House bill must be approved by a House-Senate conference committee before it goes to President Bush for his The vigil intends to make residents aware of resources available to those Involved in domestic violence Incidents, Modisett said. Resources include battered-women shelters, support groups, counseling agencies, a 24-hour crisis line and the Civil Protective Order Program through the municipal division of the prosecutor's office. In case of rain, the vigil will be In the Statehouse rotunda. A candlelight vigil Is scheduled for 6:30 p.m: today to raise community awareness regarding domestic violence, organizers said. Indiana first lady Susan Bayh and Marion County Prosecutor Jeffrey Modisett are expected to attend the vigil on the south side of the Circle.

Speakers are also to include three survivors of domestic violence. Including a prosecutor's office employee. County lockup loses inmate's money, wallet Bayh By JAMES L. PATTERSON STAR STAFF WRITER Marvin N. Miller may have had a lost weekend, but he blames jail authorities for losing his money and property.

It's the third recent incident in which property in the custody of Marion County officials has come up missing. Miller. 48, of the first block of North Whlttier Place was arrested Oct. 4 In the 5500 block of East Washington Street for allegedly being drunk. "Upon releasing the inmate the next day.

it was discovered that the inmate's pperty packet was not in the lockup office or. the property safe," said Marlon County sheriff's spokesman Scott Mlnler. A wallet containing $245.95, a comb and a key were taken from Miller by Jailers when he arrived at the prisoner intake center, Minier said. The inmate was given $5 of his money after being taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital on the day of his arrest, the sheriff's spokesman said. "The remaining property and his paper-work packet are missing.

There seems to be no explanation of whether it was taken by an employee ''Or aceylentally given to another Inmate." Last month, the Sheriffs Department concluded that a half-pound of nearly pure cocaine missing from a drug locker was mistakenly destroyed. The cocaine, which had been confiscated from an alleged drug dealer who jumped bond, had an estimated street value of about $28,000. Sheriff's Investigators are also trying to determine who might have taken $862 from a property locker In the Marion County coroner's office. The money belonged to a person who died. Although concerned about the recent Incidents, sheriffs authorities said they don't see any cause for alarm, Minier said.

"I would hope to think they are unrelated Incidents," he said. "We can never undo what happens, but we hope through our investigation that it won't happen again." He said that if the investigation indicates Miller's cash and property were lost at the Marlon County Lockup, a claim will be submitted to the city legal department. Miller has been arrested 77 times on charges of public intoxication, Indianapolis police Department spokesman Timothy M. Horty. Wayne center was rewritten to show the facility had passed.

The state has claimed the changes were proper and the report was approved by the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration. Bayliff called the governor's response to the mental health crisis and the lack of a permanent commissioner "unacceptable." "We have heard for several weeks that It (the appointment) is going to be sooiM' he said. "And It's been friontns." Continued from Page 1 Those facilities have passed recent Inspections. Bayliff also pointed to the death last week of a 19-year-old retarded patient at the Fort Wayne Developmental Center.

The youth, who lived In a section of the facility being closed after it failed to pass Inspection, suffered a fatal selzujr Jate officials jave admitted that a failing report on the Fort.