According to the San Jose Mercury, the lead agent in the BALCO investigation continues to be IRS agent Jeff Novitzky. Don't mess with Novitzky. Don't even look at him.
The San Francisco Fed Prosecutor announced a guilty plea by a Mets worker who must be involved in a huge anabolic distribution ring today. Novitzky was there.
Novitsky played a paramount role in the original BALCO investigation that resulted in charges and convictions of Victor Conte, Greg Anderson and others; athletes who testified included Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Marion Jones.
Novitzky (pictured below) also led the raid in former MLB player Jason Grimsley last year.
Lead Balco investigator Jeff Novitzky of the San Jose office of the Internal Revenue Service took over the case in 2005 after receiving a tip from the Federal Bureau of Investigations. It fell under the IRS's jurisdiction because of the charge of laundering money from the illegal sale of steroids...
The drug issue didn't seem to resonant with fans until after federal agents raided Balco Laboratories in Burlingame in September 2003. Of the more than 30 athletes subpoenaed to testify in front of a grand jury investigating the Balco case, about a third were baseball players. Bonds and the New York Yankees' Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield were the most prominent...
IRS agent Novitzky continued his work as well. Last summer he led agents into the Arizona home of journeyman pitcher Jason Grimsley, who was caught accepting a $3,200 shipment of human growth hormone. The Diamondbacks pitcher ended his career after news of the raid.
People say Novitsky is out to get Barry Bonds. He may or may not be out to get anyone.
The Nation sure doesn't want to get on the wrong side of the IRS, so just move along.....
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