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REPORT: HOLYFIELD USED ALIAS TO BUY STEROIDS
No new names surfaced in the latest steroids investigation to make headlines, but former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was implicated further.
Sports Illustrated’s Web site reported a patient of a Mobile, Ala., lab by the name of “Evan Fields” raised some su****ion among investigators. The so-called “Fields” shares the same birth date as Holyfield, has a similar address, and when reporters called the phone number associated with those prescriptions, Holyfield answered.
Holyfield on Wednesday vehemently denied ever using steroids.
Authorities are investigating a large Internet steroid production and distribution ring. The probe is being led by the Albany County (N.Y.) district attorney’s office and is expected to produce up to two dozen arrests. Law enforcement officials raided Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday. Signature sold more than $10 million worth of illegal drugs in New York alone, according to investigators.
Holyfield has not been tied to Signature but to Applied Pharmacy in Alabama, which also is part of the investigation. According to SI.com, the 44-year-old former champion is believed to be “Evan Fields” by investigators. He allegedly picked up drugs from a private Georgia urologist, whose offices also were raided. Authorities traced the drugs to Applied in Mobile, Ala., which was raided last fall.
The Web site reports that in June 2004, an individual believed by investigators to be Holyfield picked up three vials of testosterone, two vials of the drug Glukor, and injection supplies. Then, less than a week later, he received five vials of human growth hormone (HGH) and related supplies.
Asked about his alleged involvement, Holyfield issued a statement through his promoter that said: “I do not use steroids. I have never used steroids.”
Dr. Margaret Goodman, the chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission’s medical advisory board, said Holyfield never has failed a steroid test. She did say Holyfield was questioned about possible HGH use in 1994 when he suffered a heart condition. She said whenever a boxer has a heart problem, they are asked about steroid or HGH use. No accepted test exists to detect use of HGH.
“There was no test and he flat out denied it,” Goodman said.
Major League Baseball plans on investigating the allegations that Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. received performance-enhancing drugs from the Alabama lab.
“We’re looking into it,” baseball spokesman Rich Levin said. “I know our people are going to contact the Albany district attorney.”
In Florida, the four defendants in the Signature case (Robert Loomis, Naomi Loomis, Kenneth Loomis and Kirk Calvert) were indicted on multiple counts of enterprise corruption, criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal diversion of prescription medications, and insurance fraud.
Yesterday, all four waived extradition to New York, but asked a judge to let them post bail and be fitted with tracking devices so they could turn themselves in. Judge Mike Murphy denied the requestrequest.
No new names surfaced in the latest steroids investigation to make headlines, but former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield was implicated further.
Sports Illustrated’s Web site reported a patient of a Mobile, Ala., lab by the name of “Evan Fields” raised some su****ion among investigators. The so-called “Fields” shares the same birth date as Holyfield, has a similar address, and when reporters called the phone number associated with those prescriptions, Holyfield answered.
Holyfield on Wednesday vehemently denied ever using steroids.
Authorities are investigating a large Internet steroid production and distribution ring. The probe is being led by the Albany County (N.Y.) district attorney’s office and is expected to produce up to two dozen arrests. Law enforcement officials raided Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, Fla., on Tuesday. Signature sold more than $10 million worth of illegal drugs in New York alone, according to investigators.
Holyfield has not been tied to Signature but to Applied Pharmacy in Alabama, which also is part of the investigation. According to SI.com, the 44-year-old former champion is believed to be “Evan Fields” by investigators. He allegedly picked up drugs from a private Georgia urologist, whose offices also were raided. Authorities traced the drugs to Applied in Mobile, Ala., which was raided last fall.
The Web site reports that in June 2004, an individual believed by investigators to be Holyfield picked up three vials of testosterone, two vials of the drug Glukor, and injection supplies. Then, less than a week later, he received five vials of human growth hormone (HGH) and related supplies.
Asked about his alleged involvement, Holyfield issued a statement through his promoter that said: “I do not use steroids. I have never used steroids.”
Dr. Margaret Goodman, the chairman of the Nevada Athletic Commission’s medical advisory board, said Holyfield never has failed a steroid test. She did say Holyfield was questioned about possible HGH use in 1994 when he suffered a heart condition. She said whenever a boxer has a heart problem, they are asked about steroid or HGH use. No accepted test exists to detect use of HGH.
“There was no test and he flat out denied it,” Goodman said.
Major League Baseball plans on investigating the allegations that Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr. received performance-enhancing drugs from the Alabama lab.
“We’re looking into it,” baseball spokesman Rich Levin said. “I know our people are going to contact the Albany district attorney.”
In Florida, the four defendants in the Signature case (Robert Loomis, Naomi Loomis, Kenneth Loomis and Kirk Calvert) were indicted on multiple counts of enterprise corruption, criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminal diversion of prescription medications, and insurance fraud.
Yesterday, all four waived extradition to New York, but asked a judge to let them post bail and be fitted with tracking devices so they could turn themselves in. Judge Mike Murphy denied the requestrequest.
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