🔗 Share this article

Victor Conte, who masterminded a plan to provide undetectable banned substances to top competitors including MLB legends Giambi and Bonds and sprinting gold medalist Marion Jones in the past, has passed away. He was 75.

Government Probe and Convictions

The federal government's probe of another company set up by him, the Bay Area lab, resulted in the criminal findings of Jones, top track cyclist Tammy Thomas, and retired NFL player Dana Stubblefield, as well as various support personnel and professionals.

Public Statements and Prison Time

The Balco founder, who completed four months in a penitentiary for illegal drug sales, spoke openly about his well-known clients. He went on broadcast media to assert he had seen three-time Olympic medalist Marion Jones inject herself with HGH, but always refrained from incriminating Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants slugger.

Sport's Official Review

The investigation resulted in the book titled Game of Shadows. A week after the release of the book in that year, MLB commissioner Selig appointed ex-senator Mitchell to examine doping in baseball.

He admitted he distributed steroids called “the cream” and “the clear” and guided their usage to dozens of professional sportspeople, like Jason Giambi, a multiple-time All-Star, the Mitchell report said.

Employing PEDs is a significant danger to the honesty of the competition,” the findings emphasized. “Prevalent consumption by competitors of these drugs unfairly disadvantages the those who refuse to cheat who decline to take them and creates doubts about the validity of historical stats.”

The report noted the issues took time to emerge. The report emphasized each participant in baseball in the prior two decades – including leaders, team executives, the union and athletes themselves – shared some responsibility for what he called “the steroids era”.

How It Began

The federal investigation into Balco was initiated by a tax agent digging through the company’s trash. The defendant ultimately admitted guilt to a pair of the multiple accusations filed against him in that year prior to court proceedings. Six of the 11 convicted people were ensnared for misleading the court.

Associated Convictions

The athlete's coach Anderson, pleaded guilty to illegal substance sales arising from his Balco connections. Anderson was sentenced to three months in jail and three months of home confinement.

The Slugger's Case

Bonds was accused of lying to a investigative body about obtaining banned substances and went on trial in 2011. The case was dismissed his case four years later when the prosecutors opted not to appeal an overturned obstruction of justice conviction to the supreme court.

A multiple MVP winner and 14-time All-Star outfielder, he concluded his playing days after the that season with 762 homers, surpassing the record of that number that Aaron achieved from his career. Bonds denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs but has never been elected to the Hall of Fame.

Later Years

The former convict stated in an interview in a 2010 interview that “yes, athletes cheat to triumph, but the officials and lawyers cheat to win, too.” He also questioned whether the results in these trials merited the work.

Following his prison term, he returned to work in that year by rebooting a supplements company he had launched years before called SNAC System. He set up shop in the identical location that once housed the original company in Burlingame.

Unapologetic Views

Conte remained defiant about his major involvement in providing custom PEDs to elite athletes. He maintained he simply helped “level the playing field” in a sports environment teeming with rule-breakers.

Outside Views

To an expert, a then-member of the WADA, Conte was essentially pushing hard drugs. “You are talking about totally illegal drug trafficking. This refers to drug consumption in breach of national statutes,” Wadler said in 2007. “This is not philanthropy and not a benevolent act. It's illegal sales.”