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Victor Conte, who masterminded a operation to distribute hard-to-detect performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes including baseball icons Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi and sprinting gold medalist Jones in the past, is deceased. His age was 75.

Federal Investigation and Criminal Cases

An official investigation into an additional venture set up by him, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco), culminated in the convictions of Jones, top track cyclist Thomas, and former NFL defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield, as well as various support personnel and professionals.

Public Statements and Legal Consequences

The Balco founder, who served a third of a year in federal prison for steroid distribution, spoke openly about his high-profile athletes. He appeared on television to claim he had seen decorated Olympian Marion Jones inject herself with human growth hormones, but consistently avoided implicating Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants slugger.

Baseball's Investigation

The investigation led to the volume titled Game of Shadows. Shortly after the publication date in 2006, the sport's chief Bud Selig hired former senate majority leader George Mitchell to look into PED use.

He revealed he provided steroids known as “the cream” and “the clear” and coached on their use to many elite athletes, like Jason Giambi, a five-time major league All-Star, the Mitchell report said.

“The illegal use of banned drugs represents a major risk to the honesty of the sport,” the Mitchell report concluded. “Widespread use by athletes of these compounds unfairly disadvantages the honest athletes who avoid them and raises questions about the accuracy of sporting achievements.”

The report noted the issues were not sudden. Mitchell claimed all parties in the sport in the preceding decades – covering commissioners, team executives, the union and players – shared some responsibility for what he termed the PED epoch.

Case Inception

The official probe into Balco was initiated by a revenue officer examining the business refuse. He ultimately admitted guilt to two of the numerous counts filed against him in the mid-2000s ahead of a court case. Six of the 11 convicted people were ensnared for lying to federal investigators.

Associated Convictions

Bonds’ personal trainer Anderson, admitted guilt to illegal substance sales arising from his involvement with Balco. The court gave him to 90 days in incarceration and the same duration of house arrest.

The Slugger's Case

The home run king was indicted for lying to a federal jury about receiving banned substances and faced a trial in the early 2010s. The case was dismissed the charges four years later when the government decided not to challenge an overturned obstruction of justice conviction to the federal apex court.

A multiple MVP winner and 14-time All-Star outfielder, Bonds ended his career after the 2007 season with a record home run tally, exceeding the milestone of Aaron's total that Aaron set from the 1950s to 1970s. Bonds denied intentionally taking banned substances but has never been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Later Years

He told the Associated Press in a past conversation that “yes, athletes cheat to win, but the officials and lawyers engage in misconduct as well.” He doubted whether the results in such proceedings justified the effort.

After serving his sentence, he returned to work in the late 2000s by rebooting a health products venture he had founded two decades earlier called Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning or SNAC System. He set up shop in the same building that was home to the original company in Burlingame.

Unapologetic Views

Conte remained defiant about his central role in providing designer steroids to professional competitors. He claimed he simply helped “balance the odds” in a arena teeming with doping athletes.

Outside Views

To an expert, a then-member of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Conte may as well have been selling illegal narcotics. “It concerns unlawful substance distribution. It's about using drugs in breach of national statutes,” Wadler said in 2007. “This isn't charity and it's not altruistic. This is drug dealing.”