DUNBAR COACH RELEASED FOLLOWING COURT APPEARANCE

The head football coach at Baltimore’s Dunbar High School has been released from custody pending trial following his indictment on fraud and tax evasion charges.  During an initial court appearance, a federal magistrate judge ordered Lawrence Smith to surrender a gun and avoid any contact with witnesses.  Smith, who is also a school police officer, is accused of fraudulently obtaining more than 215-thousand dollars in overtime pay, attempting to avoid paying federal income taxes and filing a false tax return.  City school officials issued a statement calling the charges against Smith “unacceptable.”  They add his actions, if true, erode the trust between the public and school employees.