Sat, Dec 13, 2003 - Page 18 News List

Giambi brothers testify about new drug to grand jury

DOPE IN SPORT Oakland Raiders teammates Barrett Robbins and Bill Romanowski also appeared to give information about a steroid discovered this summer

AP , SAN FRANCISCO

Baseball sluggers Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield, boxer Shane Mosley and Oakland Raiders teammates Bill Romanowski and Barret Robbins were among the latest athletes to appear before a grand jury probing a nutritional supplements lab.

Also appearing Thursday was Jeremy Giambi, the younger brother of Jason.

"It went good," Jason Giambi said as the brothers left the grand jury room, accompanied by agent Arn Tellem. "I can't really talk about it."

Sheffield, who is trying to work out a free agent contract with the New York Yankees, said his appearance went "all right" and flashed a thumbs-up sign as he entered an elevator near the grand jury room.

Jason Giambi plays for the Yankees. Jeremy Giambi played for the Boston Red Sox last season and is now a free agent.

Mosley's attorney, Judd Burstein, said the boxer testified "because the government wanted some information from him, and he was happy to provide it."

Federal investigators had asked for a sample of Mosley's urine taken after his Sept. 13 win over Oscar De La Hoya, a fight that took place in Las Vegas.

But Nevada Deputy Attorney-General Keith Kizer said in October that the sample already had been discarded by the lab.

Burstein said in October that Mosley passed all drug and steroid tests performed after that fight. Burstein also said at that time that Mosley had used nutritional supplements from the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, or BALCO.

Romanowski and Robbins were among four Raiders notified by the NFL last month that they failed tests for THG, a source close to the investigation said on condition of anonymity. The steroid was undetectable in drug tests until this summer.

Disappearance

Robbins, who has been diagnosed and treated for bipolar disorder and alcoholism, disappeared from the team on the eve of the Raiders' 48-21 loss to Tampa Bay in the Super Bowl last season.

Neither Romanowski nor Robbins commented after his grand jury appearance. Romanowski also did not comment when asked whether he had used steroids, or whether he had used THG.

Athletes from five sports -- football, baseball, swimming, boxing, and track and field -- have appeared before the grand jury. The group includes baseball's Barry Bonds; track star Marion Jones and her boyfriend, 100-meter world record-holder Tim Montgomery; seven NFL players, and Olympic champion swimmer Amy Van Dyken.

An appearance before the grand jury, or being subpoenaed to testify, does not mean an athlete is a target of the investigation -- which is focusing on possible drug and tax violations by BALCO.

BALCO also has been accused of supplying athletes with THG.

The only two people identified so far as targets of the federal grand jury are BALCO founder Victor Conte and Greg Anderson, a personal trainer for Bonds and other athletes.

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