Mexican steroids/HGH dealer threatens to blow the spikes off track and field: Names Maurice Greene as a doper

The New York Times -- fresh off the press -- says that a Mexican ex-athlete, and big-time steroid/dope dealer will blow the top off track and field when he testifies at the Trevor Graham trial.  Angel Guillermo Heredia claims to substantial evidence that implicates 12 T & F athletes who won 26 Olympic medals and 21 world championships  (Heredia and Graham in photo left below).  Four names are known dopers, and 8 will be novel drug users.  The biggest new name: Maurice Greene.  (A New York Times editorial calls for an end to the Olympic Games) (Update: Not Mo Greene's first brush with doping)

When one of the most successful coaches in the history of track and field goes on trial next month in the long-running federal investigation into doping in sports (ed note: Trevor Graham, charged with three counts of making false statements to federal agents) lawyers for both sides are prepared to reveal that cheating in track is far more widespread than previously known...

Angel Guillermo Heredia is identified as Source A in the felony indictment. He agreed to be a cooperating witness three years ago when, according to court filings, investigators confronted him with evidence of his drug trafficking and money laundering. Since then, Mr. Heredia said, he has provided prosecutors with documentation and with the names of many elite track athletes and Olympic medal winners...

Among his clients, Mr. Heredia identified 12 athletes who had won a combined 26 Olympic medals and 21 world championships. Four of the 12 athletes, including Ms. Jones, had been named and barred from competition for illicit drug use. Eight of the 12 — notably, the sprinter Maurice Greene — have never been previously linked to performance-enhancing drugs.

Mr. Greene, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a five-time world champion, has never failed a drug test.

Greene is a former world-record holder in the 100M.  The Times article extensively documents Heredia's situation, although Greene is the only athlete named.  Among other points:

• The Feds have been working with Heredia for 3 years
• Heredia kept extensive records detailing his accusations about athletes
• Heredia dealt HGH EPO, and testosterone, all of which he said were easy to sneak past drug-testers
• The dealer cooperated with IRS agent Jeff Novitzky

Heredia gets specific with Greene:

Mr. Heredia told prosecutors in December 2006 and The Times recently that Mr. Greene had paid him a total of about $40,000, including the $10,000 wire transfer, for advice and steroid creams, EPO, insulin and stimulants in 2003 and 2004. Mr. Greene had already won two Olympic gold medals when Mr. Heredia said Mr. Greene first contacted him after the 2002 track season. By then, Mr. Greene had lost the title “world’s fastest man” to Tim Montgomery and was also losing races to Dwain Chambers; court records later showed that those sprinters were being helped by taking Balco drugs.

(more after the jump)

Another big name, Coach Raymond Stewart:

An e-mail message from July 2003 from Mr. Heredia to Raymond Stewart, a track coach in Texas who was a silver medalist in the 4x100 relay for Jamaica at the 1984 Olympics, described the drugs Mr. Heredia had recommended for two of Mr. Stewart’s runners. It referred to bottles of “g,” another shorthand for growth hormone, and testosterone. Reached by phone at his home, Mr. Stewart initially denied knowing Mr. Heredia. But after being provided with a copy of the 2003 message, he said that they had met. Mr. Stewart also said that he had rejected the drugs Mr. Heredia offered in the note. “We don’t do that,” Mr. Stewart said.

Watch this scandal as it develops.  Considering the fame of the alleged athletes this could be BALCO II.

Comments

[joke]

I think athletes are entertainers and if they cheat it really does not surprise me.

[HGH Growth Hormone]

HGH is not a steroid and is found naturally in the body. Should caffeine and sugar be banned as performance enhancers as well? Most athletes today are using homeopathic hgh oral spray because it's legal for over the counter sales (like coffee and coke) and don't involve the use of needles.

[Karina Mancias]

Hi Memo!! Remember me? I miss you and love you! Please make Kingsville proud and do the right thing. I'll be waiting to make Love to you in my dorm room!!

Love you

[John]

Now it becomes more and more common that athletes cheat by taking drugs. However it is against spirit of the game.. http://www.humangrowthhormones.in