OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland police are conducting a lengthy search at St. Patrick Abbey in Oakland today, following up on a search two weeks ago that led to the arrest of the Rev. Donald Weeks on sexual assault charges.

Standing outside the abbey at 3700 East 12th St., Weeks said, "This is police harassment."

Weeks' attorney John Burris said, "Police are scrounging around to try to get evidence to file new charges" against Weeks, 60, who has run a transitional housing program at the abbey for parolees and substance abusers for five years."

Burris said, "The present charges are bogus, so they're trying to get new charges."

He said, "This is a desperate attempt on their part (the Oakland Police Department)."

Oakland police officials didn't return several calls seeking comment on today's investigation.

Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Tim Wellman, who is prosecuting Weeks on 24 counts of oral copulation with a minor, declined to comment other than to say that the investigation in the case is ongoing. Weeks is free in lieu of $50,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court next Tuesday to enter a plea.

Weeks said at least four Oakland police officers entered the abbey without notice about 1 p.m. today, some of them entering via the three-story building's roof. As of 4:30 p.m., two officers were still there, he said.

At the beckoning of Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, who represents the Fruitvale District where the abbey is located, Oakland officials have closely scrutinized the abbey since Weeks agreed last month to house convicted sex offender Cary Verse.

Verse only stayed a few days and is now living in San Jose, but Oakland officials say they found numerous fire and zoning code violations at the abbey and have asked the residents to move out.

About 25 residents stayed at the abbey, but Weeks said everyone has moved out except for a core group of six clerics. The core group is looking for a new site somewhere in the East Bay, but not in Oakland.

"We need to get out of Oakland - there's a lot of undue harassment," Weeks said.

Weeks said one of the police officers who came to the abbey today told him he was "a con man" and said, "I know you're a sexual predator and you're doing wrong."

Weeks said, "They tore up our office once and I'm afraid they'll do it again, but there's nothing in there for them to find."

Hubert Bowen, one of the remaining clerics, said he was in pain when police grabbed him and handcuffed him for 15 minutes as he was making a phone call to a lawyer after police arrived.

"It was just a show of force and I felt bullied," Bowen said.

Burris said Oakland police are acting "in intimidating fashion."

Weeks said he suffered a diabetic coma after he was arrested on March 30. An assistant said at the time that Weeks also suffered two heart attacks, but Weeks said today that doctors told him that what happened is that he felt so anxious that it created the impression that he had a heart problem. He said he did suffer a heart attack in the past.

Weeks said he's a diabetic and his health is "not good," as his blood-sugar level is twice as high as it should be.

In addition to his criminal case hearing on Tuesday, Weeks will be in court on Wednesday for a civil hearing on his attempt to throw out or at least postpone his eviction order.

Weeks said he's asking for the public's help in raising money for the abbey to find a new home. He said he hopes to raise $10,000 to $15,000 to pay for expenses related to moving to a new site, such as first and last month's rent, a security deposit and moving costs.

Weeks said an anonymous donor recently gave the abbey $10,000, but he said that money already has been spent on items such as relocating the abbey's residents, utility bills and the cost of feeding residents while he was in jail.

Weeks said contributions should be sent in care of John Burris at 7677 Oakport St., Suite 1100, Oakland, CA 94621.

Checks should be made out to St. Patrick Abbey, he said.