An angry Tammy Thomas heard San Francisco jurors convict her of lying to BALCO investigators this afternoon. Thomas, who used so much anabolic steroid she needed to shave (? brand of shaving cream) her beard, grew hair on her cheat, lowered her voice, and grew her genitalia, deceived the investigators looking into the BALCO operation that snared a number of Bay Area and national elite athletes. From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Former cyclist Tammy Thomas was convicted Friday of lying to a grand jury investigating a steroid distribution ring that has implicated some of the biggest stars in baseball, football and track.
Thomas, the first figure connected to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative case to go to trial, shouted at the jury after being found guilty of three counts of perjury and a count of obstruction of justice. She was acquitted of two counts of perjury.
Apparently not realizing she controlled her own destiny both when she took illegal anabolic drugs, and when she deceived investigators, Thomas -- a law student -- became visibly and orally angry at the pronouncement; now convicted it will be doubtful she would be accepted into a state bar.
"I already had one career taken away from me," she yelled, referencing her lifetime ban from cycling. "Look me in the eye. You can't do it."
Her father, who has sat in the front row of court during the two week trial, also raised his voice and said, "They can't do it."
Thomas then shouted and gestured at prosecutors: "Look me in the eye .... You like to destroy people's lives."
Thomas, who must have been bright enough to be accepted to law school, must not understand that her sentencing is on the docket. Why become so aggressive in court? Why show a temper to the judge who will sentence you? Those androgens still working somewhere in the limbic lobe (in fact use of AAS affects limbic neurons)?
Legal experts said Thomas faces a prison sentence of between six months and several
years. She is scheduled to be sentenced July 18...
The jury found Thomas guilty of falsely telling the grand jury that she had never taken steroids and had never received any performance-enhancing drugs from Arnold, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to making two undetectable steroids.
Thomas made her denials even though she was banned from cycling for life in August 2002 after the performance-enhancing drug Norbolethone was detected in her urine.
The drug, once an obscure steroid used in human tests in the 1960s, was rediscovered by Arnold, who supplied the Burlingame-based BALCO with undetectable performance-enhancing drugs.
Thomas's choices remain inexplicable. Her choice of doping with extremely strong androgenic anabolic steroids led to virilizing side-effects. Her choice of doping led to a lifetime ban from cycling. She then choose to deceive investigators -- even when given immunity on front of the Grand Jury Furthermore, one wonders if she wasn't given an opportunity for a plea bargain, rather than court. All this adds up to some unsavory evidence of personality directions that look a wrong turn. Cheating her competitors. Ignoring the consequences of telling the truth even when given immunity. Makes one wonder if the AASs affect judgment long after existing the body. Barry Bonds, take notice...your lawyers did.
Damn!
That is an excellent piece of great writing skill in that article. Kudos X kudos to the author. Absolutely spectacular, informative, and humorous!
Posted by: Davy | 04/05/2008 at 15:14