Grand Jury Will Hear 'Champions' Evidence

A Middlesex County grand jury is likely to hear evidence this week that two members of the Class of 1993 stole as estimated $160,000 from the Eliot House ice skating charity Evening With Champions, according to court sources.

The two former students are reported to be the charity's former treasurer, David G. Sword '93, and co-chair, Charles K. Lee '93. Neither could be reached for comment last week, and both have refused to answer reporters' questions during the district attorney's probe.

The money, which was discovered missing last summer by the 1993 Evening With Champions co-chairs, was to have been donated to the Jimmy Fund, which supports cancer research and treatment, particularly for young victims.

The missing $160,000 consisted of proceeds from the both the 1991 and 1992 shows.

There was no word on what charges the Middlesex County district attorney would pursue before the grand jury, but Sword and Lee had been under investigation for larceny of more than $100.

In an article Saturday, Boston Globe columnist Will McDonough, citing anonymous sources, said the district attorney's office is "confident it can get indictments against the two."

Last summer, investigators were told that Sword allegedly told another student working on the charity that he took aportion of the funds according to a highly placedsource and the Globe.

Before he knew he was a suspect in the case,Lee told The Crimson last year that he acceptedfull responsibility for what he termed a"miscommunication" between Evening With Championsleaders and officials at the Jimmy Fund. Lee saidhe decided in the all of 1992 to forego donatingthe money in an effort to meet mounting expensesand pay off the charity's longstanding debts.

But Eliot House residents and Jimmy FundExecutive Director Mike Andrews all but said theydid not believe Lee's account.

Andrews said Lee attended and organized aceremony to present a six-figure donation to theJimmy fund in May of 1993--months after Lee sayshe decided not to make a donation.

The donations, Andrews said, never arrived.

"If there is wrongdoing, I hope that the peoplewill be prosecuted," Andrews said last year.

"It's sad that thousands of Eliot Housestudents who have worked on the show are all beingput under a gray cloud," he said.

Friends interviewed last year described bothLee and Sword as generous and ethical. Those whoknew that two students discounted suggestions thatthey might have taken the money.

"Anyone who accuses David of anything wrong iswrong,' said Jeff Zimmerman '93, who, like Sword,was member of the Fox final club. "There's nodoubt in my mind that he couldn't have doneanything like that."

"He is a good friend and a good roommate," saidPaul Bamford '93, who lived with Lee in Eliot. "Hewas just the greatest guy.

Before he knew he was a suspect in the case,Lee told The Crimson last year that he acceptedfull responsibility for what he termed a"miscommunication" between Evening With Championsleaders and officials at the Jimmy Fund. Lee saidhe decided in the all of 1992 to forego donatingthe money in an effort to meet mounting expensesand pay off the charity's longstanding debts.

But Eliot House residents and Jimmy FundExecutive Director Mike Andrews all but said theydid not believe Lee's account.

Andrews said Lee attended and organized aceremony to present a six-figure donation to theJimmy fund in May of 1993--months after Lee sayshe decided not to make a donation.

The donations, Andrews said, never arrived.

"If there is wrongdoing, I hope that the peoplewill be prosecuted," Andrews said last year.

"It's sad that thousands of Eliot Housestudents who have worked on the show are all beingput under a gray cloud," he said.

Friends interviewed last year described bothLee and Sword as generous and ethical. Those whoknew that two students discounted suggestions thatthey might have taken the money.

"Anyone who accuses David of anything wrong iswrong,' said Jeff Zimmerman '93, who, like Sword,was member of the Fox final club. "There's nodoubt in my mind that he couldn't have doneanything like that."

"He is a good friend and a good roommate," saidPaul Bamford '93, who lived with Lee in Eliot. "Hewas just the greatest guy.