Miguel Tejada became the first high-profile player convicted of a crime stemming from Major League Baseball’s steroids era by pleading guilty in federal court on Wednesday to misleading Congress about doping.
Under a plea agreement with the same prosecutors pursuing a perjury indictment against pitching great Roger Clemens, Tejada admitted he withheld information about an ex-teammate’s use of steroids and human growth hormone (HGH) when questioned by a House committee’s investigators in August 2005.
Tejada also acknowledged he bought HGH while playing for the A’s, but said he threw the drugs away without using them. Prosecutors said they have no evidence to contradict that.
Later at a Houston press conference, Tejada fought back tears as he apologized for what he called a mistake. He did not take questions.
The misdemeanor can lead to as much as a year in jail. Federal guidelines call for a lighter sentence, and one of his lawyers Mark Tuohey said he expects Tejada to receive probation.
Federal Magistrate Judge Alan Kay set sentencing for March 26, during MLB spring training.
Kay asked more than once whether the Dominican Republic player understood this could affect his immigration status in the US. “Yes, your honor,” Tejada replied.
A letter sent by prosecutors to his attorneys last Friday outlining the terms of their plea deal said: “His guilty plea in this case may subject him to detention, deportation and other sanctions at the direction of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”
Even after being chastised by Kay for merely nodding in response to questions, Tejada did not say much in Washington on Wednesday other than “Yes, your honor” or “No, your honor” during the 45-minute hearing.
Toward the end of the proceedings, when Tejada was asked how he wished to plea, his voice cracked as he replied: “Guilty.” One of his lawyers patted him on the shoulder.
The case stemmed from former Baltimore Orioles teammate Rafael Palmeiro failing a drug test in 2005 and being banned. Palmeiro said the positive test must have been caused by a tainted B-12 vitamin injection given to him by Tejada.
He told congressional staff “he had no knowledge of other players using or even talking about steroids or other banned substances,” court documents say.
But in the December 2007 Mitchell Report on drugs in MLB, Oakland outfielder Adam Piatt is cited saying he discussed steroid use with Tejada and provided Tejada with testosterone and HGH.
The report included copies of checks allegedly written by Tejada to Piatt in March 2003 for US$3,100 and US$3,200.
Greek swimmer Kristian Gkolomeev was the only athlete to “beat” a world record on Sunday at the Enhanced Games, winning the men’s 50m freestyle at the divisive competition where athletes were free to take performance-enhancing substances. His time of 20.81 seconds — which is not considered official — came in the final event of the night in Las Vegas, sparing the blushes of organizers who made claims that multiple world records would be surpassed due to a sophisticated doping regime. Gkolomeev, who was wearing a synthetic “supersuit” long banned at events such as the Olympics, outpaced Australia’s Cameron McEvoy’s 20.88 set in
Fred Kerley is competing unaugmented against drug-fuelled athletes at this weekend’s Enhanced Games and still hopes to race in the 2028 Olympics, the suspended former 100m world champion said on Friday. Arguably the biggest name at the divisive event in Las Vegas, where doping is permitted, the US sprinter said he had chosen not to take any of the banned substances including testosterone and steroids that his competitors have been using. “I don’t need it. God gave me fast feet for a reason. And I’m here to showcase my talent,” Kerley said. Kerley last September became the first US competitor and first track
VICTORY ABROAD: The team took home a fistful of medals and secured spots for the autumn’s Asian Games, scheduled for September in Nagoya Taiwan’s women’s team captured the overall title at the Asian Taekwondo Championships in Mongolia on Sunday, finishing with two golds, one silver and one bronze medal. The strong showing, led by gold medalists Wang Chieh-ling and Chang Jui-en secured the full quota of available spots for Taiwan at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, in September. Wang opened Taiwan’s medal run by winning gold in the women’s under-46kg class on Thursday, the first day of competition. Liu Yu-yun later earned a silver in the under-49kg class. On the final day on Sunday, Chang won Taiwan’s second gold medal in the under-62kg event, and
The manager of the Yomiuri Giants, one of Japan’s most popular baseball teams, resigned yesterday after he was arrested for allegedly physically attacking his teenage daughter. Shinnosuke Abe allegedly grabbed the 18-year-old and forced her to the floor at their home in central Tokyo on Monday evening, reported national broadcaster NHK and Kyodo News, citing unnamed police sources. “Leaving like this really means I’m causing you a lot of trouble, and I feel truly sorry about that,” Abe told a hastily arranged news conference, his eyes red with tears. The former star catcher, who is among baseball-obsessed Japan’s most recognized sports figures,
RSS