An IRS team led by BALCO super-investigator Jeff Novitzky, appears to be operating in the Houston area. The New York Times reveals one IRS probe target is Houston fitness personality Shaun Kelley. Kelley, a notorious Houston area operator with a checkered past, might be a connection to MLB pitcher Roger Clemens and PEDs. Clemens, of course, owns 3 months of 2007-8 headlines fighting off steroid and HGH charges (thanks to Sal for the heads-up).
Internal Revenue Service agents have contacted a former employee of a fitness center here as part of an effort to determine whether Roger Clemens obtained steroids or human growth hormone in the Houston area, where he lives, the former employee said...
The former employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said in an interview Wednesday that the federal agents asked about the operation of Shaun Kelley Weight Control, as well as whether Clemens knew the center’s owner, Shaun K. Kelley.
Two lawyers familiar with the government investigation of Clemens’s statements to Congress said I.R.S. agents, including Special Agent Jeff Novitzky, are scrutinizing Kelley but have not yet interviewed him, nor ruled out other possibilities for the Clemens case. The lawyers were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
Kelley is a Houston fitness entrepreneur whom may have Houston steroid and HGH connections. However Kelley waffles on his relationship with Clemens.
Kelley described Clemens as “an acquaintance,” and at first said he had met him only once, but later said he met him “a couple” of times.
Kelley denied in several interviews that he was involved with performance-enhancing drugs. But he has advertised human growth hormone on his Web site, and in 2005, his e-mail address appeared in an online inquiry about purchasing the hormone from a Chinese company.
He has also referred several clients to a Houston psychiatrist, Dr. Lisa C. Routh, including at least one person who was then prescribed steroids. In an interview, Routh said she had never met Clemens and never prescribed him any drugs.
(more after the Rocket jump)
Kelley lived a checkered past (and more here on mutiple drug arrests 10 years ago). Here is the dreaded link to Mary Lou Retton:
Kelley, 46, is from a well-known family. His parents served on Houston’s city council in the 1990s, his brother Shannon Kelley is a former University of Texas quarterback, and the former Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is his sister-in-law.
Clemens visited Kelley’s center in the past few years, according to the former employee who spoke to I.R.S. agents. Clemens arrived at the center, explained that he was a friend of Kelley and waited while Kelley finished speaking to a client. Clemens then entered Kelley’s office and stayed for about 20 minutes, the former employee said.
Kelley said: “I have never seen Clemens in my store, ever. This is all totally false.”
The relationship between Kelley and Clemens is not clear. Three other former employees of the center, as well as Routh, said Kelley had boasted of a friendship with Clemens, although they noted he had a penchant for exaggerating.
Shaun Eckhardt, who worked for Kelley as a trainer for six months before quitting recently, said Kelley, in speaking of Clemens, “would always say they were good friends.” Other former employees who confirmed that Kelley often brought up Clemens’s name included Graham Burket, who worked as Kelley’s general manager for about three months, and Damon Lenahan, a nutritionist who worked for Kelley for about three months last year.
Clemens lives about three miles from the fitness center.
Interesting story, however there may be nothing but 3 miles of Texas hot air between Kelley and Clemens. Speaking of hot air, Rusty Hardin, Clemen's lawyer pipes up:
Clemens’s lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said he would not ask Clemens about any connection to Kelley. He said he found the question about any possible relationship “despicable.” Hardin told reporters, “You are on a witch hunt.”
In 2002, Kelley’s Web site advertised the sale of H.G.H. On a page advertising the sale of supplements, the site said Kelley’s company sold antiaging, weight-gain and weight-loss products, as well as “growth hormone.” Kelley said he did not actually sell H.G.H. but referred clients to doctors who would prescribe it.
And the drama continues. Roger Clemens is already in big trouble, but it seems like additional damning evidence comes out every week. It reminds me of the Bible verse: "be sure your sins will find you out."
Posted by: allonthefield | 03/07/2008 at 08:38
Does anybody really care? Leave the guy alone and let him fade off into oblivion.
If steroids is such a concern, why doesn't the gov't start investigating the WWE or professional bodybuilders?
Geez!...gas prices are at an all time high, the housing market is a mess, we're in a recession.....what's wrong with this country?
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