🔗 Share this article

The man behind the scheme, who devised a plan to distribute stealthy banned substances to elite sports stars including baseball icons Giambi and Bonds and track and field star Jones decades ago, has passed away. He was 75.

Federal Investigation and Convictions

A national investigation into another company set up by him, the Bay Area lab, led to the criminal findings of Marion Jones, top track cyclist Thomas, and retired NFL player Stubblefield, in addition to coaches, distributors, a trainer, a chemist and a lawyer.

Conte's Admissions and Prison Time

The Balco founder, who completed four months in a federal facility for illegal drug sales, discussed frankly about his famous former clients. He appeared on broadcast media to claim he had observed decorated Olympian Marion Jones inject herself with HGH, but consistently avoided incriminating Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants slugger.

Sport's Official Review

The investigation resulted in the publication titled Game of Shadows. A week after the publication date in 2006, the sport's chief Bud Selig hired political figure Mitchell to investigate steroids.

He revealed he provided steroids referred to as “the cream” and “the clear” and advised on their use to dozens of professional sportspeople, like Giambi, a multiple-time All-Star, the Mitchell report said.

“The illegal use of PEDs poses a serious threat to the integrity of the sport,” the report stated. “Widespread use by athletes of these compounds harms the honest athletes who refuse to use them and creates doubts about the validity of sporting achievements.”

Mitchell indicated the problems didn’t develop overnight. The report emphasized each participant in the sport in the prior two decades – including leaders, club officials, the union and players – bore partial blame for what he termed the doping period.

Investigation Origins

The official probe into the company started when a tax agent digging through the business refuse. Conte ended up pleading guilty to two of the 42 charges against him in the mid-2000s prior to court proceedings. Six of the defendants sentenced were convicted for deceiving federal investigators.

Related Cases

Bonds’ personal trainer Anderson, confessed to drug dealing counts linked to his involvement with Balco. Anderson was sentenced to three months in jail and the same duration of home confinement.

The Slugger's Case

Bonds was charged with lying to a federal jury about receiving PEDs and stood trial in 2011. The government abandoned his case down the line when the authorities chose not to appeal an overturned obstruction of justice conviction to the federal apex court.

A multiple MVP winner and 14-time All-Star outfielder, he retired after the 2007 campaign with 762 home runs, breaking the record of Aaron's total that Aaron established from his career. Bonds denied consciously consuming performance-enhancing drugs but has not been voted to the Hall of Fame.

After Incarceration

Conte remarked to the press in a past conversation that “competitors do cheat to win, but the government agents and prosecutors cheat to win, too.” He also questioned whether the conclusions in these trials merited the work.

Post-incarceration, he got back in business in the late 2000s by resuscitating a health products venture he had founded previously called his supplements brand. He operated in the identical location that was home to Balco in Burlingame.

Unapologetic Views

Conte continued to justify about his major involvement in providing tailored drugs to professional competitors. He claimed he simply helped “even the competition” in a sports environment full of rule-breakers.

Outside Views

To a WADA member, a at the time a member of the WADA, Conte was essentially selling hard drugs. “You are talking about unlawful substance distribution. This refers to drug consumption in defiance of legal codes,” he stated in 2007. “This isn't charity and not a benevolent act. It's trafficking.”