Former Mets Employee Sold Steroids To Players
Former Mets Employee Sold Steroids To Players
By Amy Shipley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2007; A01
SAN FRANCISCO, April 27 -- A former employee of the New York Mets admitted to distributing a variety of performance-enhancing drugs, including anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, to dozens of Major League Baseball players over a 10-year period beginning in 1995, according to a felony plea agreement filed in federal court Friday.
Kirk J. Radomski, who worked for the Mets from 1985 to '95, agreed to provide information to the group led by former senator George Mitchell that is investigating drug use in Major League Baseball as part of the plea deal accepted at the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California by Judge Susan Illston.
The plea agreement represents a significant blow to MLB, which has been trying to shake free of the drug scandal as slugger Barry Bonds approaches the all-time major league home run record, which he is expected to eclipse this summer. Mitchell had complained that players weren't cooperating with his investigation, so Friday's plea deal could provide a breakthrough.
Radomski, 37, who has worked as a personal trainer since leaving the Mets, admitted supplying drugs to players throughout the league and laundering the proceeds of those sales.
"This individual was a major dealer of anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs whose clientele was focused almost exclusively on Major League Baseball players," Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Parrella said. "He operated for approximately a decade."
Radomski began with the Mets as a batboy, Parrella said. The Mets confirmed that Radomski had been a clubhouse assistant with the team. Clubhouse assistants, or "clubbies" as they are known, perform such chores as cleaning the team's uniforms, setting up the postgame spread and fetching anything a player asks for.
Radomski admitted he operated his drug distribution network out of his New York home after he left the Mets, using his baseball connections.
No MLB players were identified in the court filings associated with the case, but names and paragraphs of text were redacted from the federal search warrant affidavit filed in December 2005.
The affidavit listed 23 checks worth nearly $34,000 that federal investigators alleged were deposited by individuals associated with MLB into Radomski's personal bank account between May 2003 and March 2005. The search warrant alleged that a confidential source received five orders of anabolic steroids from Radomski.
A confidential informant told the FBI that Radomski became a major drug source in professional baseball after the steroid bust of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco) in 2003, according to a federal search warrant affidavit filed in connection with the case.
The Balco investigation resulted in five criminal convictions and more than a dozen doping suspensions of track and field athletes. It also led to a perjury investigation of Bonds, and indictments of track coach Trevor Graham and former cyclist Tammy Thomas.
Friday's action suggests that the probe has continued despite the recent ouster of U.S. attorney Kevin Ryan, who oversaw the investigation until this spring when he was among the eight U.S. attorneys nationwide forced to depart.
"This investigation shows that distribution of performance-enhancing drugs continues to be an issue for sport in America," said U.S. Attorney Scott N. Schools, who replaced Ryan. "This office is dedicated to pursuing those who benefit from such crimes."
As part of the plea deal, Radomski agreed to testify at any grand jury proceeding requested by the government and participate in undercover activities under the supervision of law enforcement officials. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of distributing anabolic steroids and one count of felony money laundering and faces up to 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Human growth hormone, anabolic steroids, clomiphene, insulin growth factor and clenbuterol were seized from Radomski's New York home on Dec. 14, 2005.
Jeff Novitzky, an IRS special agent who has been the lead investigator on the Balco case, wrote in the affidavit that he received a tip about Radomski from a confidential FBI source in February 2005. The source placed the first of five drug orders from Radomski through an unidentified MLB contact on March 19, 2005.
The source said Radomski provided drugs to at least one MLB player publicly associated with the Balco investigation. Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield have all been implicated in connection with the probe. Giambi and Sheffield told a federal grand jury they used performance-enhancing substances from Balco, the San Francisco Chronicle has reported.
Bonds, a Balco customer, said he used substances provided by Balco but did not believe they were steroids.
Radomski's cooperation could result in grave embarrassment for MLB should Mitchell's group make public the information it receives from him.
"We look forward to working together with federal law enforcement toward our shared goal of dealing effectively with illegal performance-enhancing drug use in baseball," Mitchell said in a statement.
MLB President and Chief Operating Officer Bob DuPuy lauded Friday's deal in a statement and urged all baseball personnel to cooperate with the Mitchell commission.
Radomski, a burly man with closely shaved hair, appeared in court Friday with his attorney, John Riley. Parrella and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Nedrow appeared for the prosecution. Radomski is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 7.
Web of Drugs, Money
Highlights from former New York Mets employee Kirk J. Radomski's plea agreement and related court documents:
-- Between 1995 and 2005, he distributed anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, amphetamines and other drugs to dozens of major leaguers.
-- Cashed 23 large checks worth nearly $34,000 from individuals associated with MLB between May 2003 and March 2005.
-- Pleaded guilty to one felony count of distributing anabolic steroids and one count of felony money laundering and faces up to 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
-- Agreed to cooperate with the committee looking into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball led by former senator George Mitchell.
-- No players were identified, but names and paragraphs of text were redacted.
© 2007 The Washington Post Company
By Amy Shipley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 28, 2007; A01
SAN FRANCISCO, April 27 -- A former employee of the New York Mets admitted to distributing a variety of performance-enhancing drugs, including anabolic steroids and human growth hormone, to dozens of Major League Baseball players over a 10-year period beginning in 1995, according to a felony plea agreement filed in federal court Friday.
Kirk J. Radomski, who worked for the Mets from 1985 to '95, agreed to provide information to the group led by former senator George Mitchell that is investigating drug use in Major League Baseball as part of the plea deal accepted at the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California by Judge Susan Illston.
The plea agreement represents a significant blow to MLB, which has been trying to shake free of the drug scandal as slugger Barry Bonds approaches the all-time major league home run record, which he is expected to eclipse this summer. Mitchell had complained that players weren't cooperating with his investigation, so Friday's plea deal could provide a breakthrough.
Radomski, 37, who has worked as a personal trainer since leaving the Mets, admitted supplying drugs to players throughout the league and laundering the proceeds of those sales.
"This individual was a major dealer of anabolic steroids and performance-enhancing drugs whose clientele was focused almost exclusively on Major League Baseball players," Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Parrella said. "He operated for approximately a decade."
Radomski began with the Mets as a batboy, Parrella said. The Mets confirmed that Radomski had been a clubhouse assistant with the team. Clubhouse assistants, or "clubbies" as they are known, perform such chores as cleaning the team's uniforms, setting up the postgame spread and fetching anything a player asks for.
Radomski admitted he operated his drug distribution network out of his New York home after he left the Mets, using his baseball connections.
No MLB players were identified in the court filings associated with the case, but names and paragraphs of text were redacted from the federal search warrant affidavit filed in December 2005.
The affidavit listed 23 checks worth nearly $34,000 that federal investigators alleged were deposited by individuals associated with MLB into Radomski's personal bank account between May 2003 and March 2005. The search warrant alleged that a confidential source received five orders of anabolic steroids from Radomski.
A confidential informant told the FBI that Radomski became a major drug source in professional baseball after the steroid bust of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco) in 2003, according to a federal search warrant affidavit filed in connection with the case.
The Balco investigation resulted in five criminal convictions and more than a dozen doping suspensions of track and field athletes. It also led to a perjury investigation of Bonds, and indictments of track coach Trevor Graham and former cyclist Tammy Thomas.
Friday's action suggests that the probe has continued despite the recent ouster of U.S. attorney Kevin Ryan, who oversaw the investigation until this spring when he was among the eight U.S. attorneys nationwide forced to depart.
"This investigation shows that distribution of performance-enhancing drugs continues to be an issue for sport in America," said U.S. Attorney Scott N. Schools, who replaced Ryan. "This office is dedicated to pursuing those who benefit from such crimes."
As part of the plea deal, Radomski agreed to testify at any grand jury proceeding requested by the government and participate in undercover activities under the supervision of law enforcement officials. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of distributing anabolic steroids and one count of felony money laundering and faces up to 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Human growth hormone, anabolic steroids, clomiphene, insulin growth factor and clenbuterol were seized from Radomski's New York home on Dec. 14, 2005.
Jeff Novitzky, an IRS special agent who has been the lead investigator on the Balco case, wrote in the affidavit that he received a tip about Radomski from a confidential FBI source in February 2005. The source placed the first of five drug orders from Radomski through an unidentified MLB contact on March 19, 2005.
The source said Radomski provided drugs to at least one MLB player publicly associated with the Balco investigation. Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield have all been implicated in connection with the probe. Giambi and Sheffield told a federal grand jury they used performance-enhancing substances from Balco, the San Francisco Chronicle has reported.
Bonds, a Balco customer, said he used substances provided by Balco but did not believe they were steroids.
Radomski's cooperation could result in grave embarrassment for MLB should Mitchell's group make public the information it receives from him.
"We look forward to working together with federal law enforcement toward our shared goal of dealing effectively with illegal performance-enhancing drug use in baseball," Mitchell said in a statement.
MLB President and Chief Operating Officer Bob DuPuy lauded Friday's deal in a statement and urged all baseball personnel to cooperate with the Mitchell commission.
Radomski, a burly man with closely shaved hair, appeared in court Friday with his attorney, John Riley. Parrella and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Nedrow appeared for the prosecution. Radomski is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 7.
Web of Drugs, Money
Highlights from former New York Mets employee Kirk J. Radomski's plea agreement and related court documents:
-- Between 1995 and 2005, he distributed anabolic steroids, human growth hormone, amphetamines and other drugs to dozens of major leaguers.
-- Cashed 23 large checks worth nearly $34,000 from individuals associated with MLB between May 2003 and March 2005.
-- Pleaded guilty to one felony count of distributing anabolic steroids and one count of felony money laundering and faces up to 25 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
-- Agreed to cooperate with the committee looking into the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball led by former senator George Mitchell.
-- No players were identified, but names and paragraphs of text were redacted.
© 2007 The Washington Post Company
posted by Walking Contradiction at 4/29/2007 11:30:00 PM
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