Chief U.S. Attorney for Northern California Kevin Ryan said that warrants unsealed on Tuesday showed that Victor Conte, owner of BALCO Laboratories in Burlingame, California, gave federal agents "a complete statement regarding his involvement in knowingly illegally distributing steroids to numerous professional athletes in violation of federal law."
A second affidavit said Greg Anderson, personal trainer to home run slugger Barry Bonds, admitted that he gave steroids to several professional baseball players.
The athletes and players who prosecutors say used the steroids were not named. Bonds was one of several people who testified before a San Francisco grand jury probing illegal steroid use.
Ryan and other federal law enforcement officials repeatedly refused at a news conference to identify any athletes who may have received steroids and human growth hormones from BALCO. They also refused to give out the number of athletes.
Conte; Anderson; James Valente, vice president of BALCO; and Remi Korchemny, a track coach, were indicted by a federal grant jury Thursday on charges of conspiring to distribute the illegal substances.
They pleaded innocent on Friday and were ordered back to court for a Feb. 27 hearing.
No athletes were named in the indictment issued after a lengthy investigation that included testimony by Bonds, track and field Olympic medalist Marion Jones and other top athletes.
BASEBALL PARK
The affidavit said that Anderson was seen driving Sept. 11, 2002, from BALCO to Pacific Bell Park, where Bonds' San Francisco Giants play, and entering the players' parking area.
Anderson has had regular access to the Giants' clubhouse at the park.
On Sept. 23, 2002, the affidavit said Anderson and "a professional baseball player" met Conte and Valente outside BALCO and went inside briefly before Anderson and the player drove off. "Neither the baseball player nor Anderson carried anything away from BALCO," the affidavit said.
A search of Anderson's home on Sept. 3, 2003, turned up steroids, syringes and other gear "associated with steroid distribution activities," another affidavit said.
Agents also found $60,000 cash in a locked safe, with some of the money in separate envelopes with the first names of "known athlete clients written on them." They also found files identifying athletes.
The drug scandal has cast an especially long shadow over Bonds, who has publicly praised BALCO and seen his home run figures soar to record heights since he said he started taking BALCO nutritional supplements.
Conte gave a statement to federal agents on Sept. 3, 2003, that he gave Anderson "steroids to give to professional baseball players. Conte stated that he knew it was illegal to do this and that he 'assumed' Anderson knew it was illegal."
The affidavit also said Conte gave Anderson a "clear" steroid-like substance and a cream with testosterone and epitestosterone to Anderson to give "to a professional baseball player."
