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The man behind the scheme, who masterminded a operation to distribute undetectable PEDs to professional athletes such as baseball greats Giambi and Bonds and sprinting gold medalist Jones years back, has died. His age was 75.

Federal Investigation and Legal Outcomes

A national probe of a separate firm Conte founded, Balco, resulted in the convictions of Jones, top track cyclist Thomas, and ex-pro football defender Stubblefield, as well as trainers, suppliers, chemists, attorneys, and coaches.

Conte's Admissions and Legal Consequences

The Balco founder, who completed a third of a year in federal prison for steroid distribution, discussed frankly about his high-profile athletes. He was featured on TV to assert he had seen decorated Olympian Jones use a syringe with human growth hormones, but consistently avoided pointing the finger at Bonds, the Giants power hitter.

Sport's Official Review

The federal case led to the book Game of Shadows. Shortly after the book's publication in the mid-2000s, MLB commissioner Selig brought on ex-senator Mitchell to look into PED use.

He revealed he provided steroids called “the cream” and “the clear” and guided their application to numerous elite athletes, including Jason Giambi, a multiple-time All-Star, as per the investigation.

Using PEDs represents a major risk to the honesty of the game,” the Mitchell report concluded. “Widespread use by players of such substances puts at a disadvantage the honest athletes who refuse to use them and leads to skepticism about the legitimacy of sporting achievements.”

It was stated the challenges didn’t develop overnight. The report emphasized all parties in the sport in the previous twenty years – including leaders, team executives, the union and players – were partly accountable for what he termed the PED epoch.

Investigation Origins

The official probe into Balco began with a tax agent digging through the corporate garbage. He ended up pleading guilty to a pair of the numerous counts he faced in 2005 prior to court proceedings. Half a dozen of the 11 convicted people were caught lying to the court.

Further Legal Actions

The athlete's coach Anderson, confessed to steroid distribution charges arising from his involvement with Balco. Anderson was sentenced to 90 days in incarceration and an equal period of home confinement.

The Slugger's Case

The home run king was charged with providing false statements to a investigative body about receiving PEDs and stood trial in the early 2010s. Prosecutors dropped the charges after several years when the government decided not to challenge an overturned ruling to the federal apex court.

A multiple MVP winner and frequent All-Star, he ended his career after the that season with a record home run tally, exceeding the record of 755 that Aaron set from the 1950s to 1970s. Bonds denied consciously consuming PEDs but has failed to gain entry to the sport's hall of honor.

After Incarceration

Conte told the Associated Press in a 2010 discussion that “sportspeople break rules to win, but the government agents and prosecutors engage in misconduct as well.” He doubted whether the results in these trials justified the effort.

Post-incarceration, Conte got back in business in that year by reviving a health products venture he had founded two decades earlier called SNAC System. He operated in the same building that previously contained his former lab in Burlingame, California.

Unapologetic Views

He remained defiant about his central role in distributing custom PEDs to professional competitors. He argued he simply helped “balance the odds” in a sports environment already rife with rule-breakers.

Outside Views

To a WADA member, a former participant of the global anti-doping body, he could be compared to pushing illegal narcotics. “This involves blatant drug dealing. This refers to substance use in violation of federal law,” he stated in that period. “It's not a good deed and this is not some do-gooding. It's trafficking.”