Long sentences, including a suspended death penalty, who were involved in the production and sale of pork tainted with a poisonous chemical, were handed out by a Chinese report, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The pigs were fed clenbuterol to produce lean meat that sells for a premium in China, which is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pork.

From Reuters.com:

The five people suspected of involvement in the case were pronounced guilty by the court in the central province of Henan on the charge of “endangering public security by using dangerous means,” Xinhua reported.

Aside from the suspended death sentence, which in practice means a life sentence, the other suspects got sentences ranging from nine years in prison to life, Xinhua said.

The five, “despite possessing knowledge of the harm of clenbuterol, nevertheless became involved in the production and sale of it,” the report added, citing their indictment.

“Their acts also brought tremendous losses to the local livestock-farming industry,” it said.

China is no stranger to food safety scares despite repeated government campaigns to crack down on the problem and tough punishments handed out to those involved.

In 2008, at least six children died and nearly 300,000 fell ill from drinking powdered milk laced with melamine, an industrial compound added to fool inspectors by giving misleadingly high results in protein tests.

“The accused, however, defended themselves by pointing out the loopholes in pork processing companies and government supervision. They also argued there was no relevant case in which consumers got ill as a result of taking in clenbuterol-tainted meat,” the report said.

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The former Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ player, Jordan Matechuk, has taken complete responsibility for his actions that included facing sentencing for his arrest and subsequent admission of guilt for being caught with performance enhancing drugs and recreational drugs.

In an exclusive phone interview with Sportsnet.ca from his residence just outside of Winnipeg, Matechuk spoke solemnly and quietly about his wrongdoing.

From Sportsnet.ca:

Matechuk, a 25-year-old native of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, was arrested and charged on May 31st by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Sault Ste.Marie, Michigan after he was discovered in possession of a total of 543 anabolic steroid pills, 262 millilitres of anabolic steroids in liquid form, 1.25 grams of marijuana, 19 syringes, and 51 replacement needles.

He was en route to the Tiger-Cats training camp at the time of his arrest.

Subsequent to the initial news of his arrest, the Hamilton Spectator reported that county prosecutors charged Matechuk with two counts of possession of a controlled substance – one relating to Oxycontin, the other to steroids – both of which are felonies.

“I’d like to send out a sincere apology to the Tiger-Cats franchise, the CFL, my teammates, coaching staff, peers within the league, my family and friends for the situation I’m in,” Matechuk said.

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The federal court has sentenced a Nixa, Missouri, man for his role in a conspiracy to smuggle anabolic steroids from the Peoples Republic of China.

Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri made the announcement.

From Infozine.com:

The sentencing is the result of Operation Raw Deal, an international investigation targeting the illegal manufacturing and trafficking of anabolic steroids and its raw materials, mainly from China. The related investigation in the Western District of Missouri is called Operation Juice Box. The U.S. operation took place in conjunction with enforcement operations in Mexico, Canada, China, Belgium, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Thailand.

Mikal Gunn Schrage, 30, of Nixa, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan on Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, to 20 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Schrage to forfeit $333,379 to the government, which includes $36,701 that was seized by law enforcement officers, a $167,665 money judgment, all money or property (including $82,783) that was the subject of illegal wire transfers to the People’s Republic of China and $46,230 in lieu of forfeiting the residence at 1173 Marble Drive, Nixa, as well as a 2002 Cadillac Escalade.

Mikal Gunn Schrage, 30, of Nixa, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Fernando J. Gaitan for smuggling anabolic steroids from China and selling them over the Internet to customers in the United States, as well as to a related money-laundering conspiracy.

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Title defense for three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador started in the worst possible manner.

Accused of using clenbuterol in the past, Contador lost one minute 20 seconds to the other favorites after being held back by a crash nine kilometers from the finish of the 191.5-km first stage.

From Reuters.com:

The stage win and the first leader’s yellow jersey in this 98th edition of the race went to Belgian champion Philippe Gilbert, who surged ahead in the last 400 meters to snatch his 13th victory of the season.

Recently crowned Belgian champion and number one in the world rankings, Gilbert grabbed more honors with his first Tour stage win and his first yellow jersey.

On the finish line, Gilbert beat the last two road world champions – Australian Cadel Evans, who finished three seconds adrift and Norway’s Thor Hushovd, who came home six seconds behind.

Gilbert said, “It was my goal, I knew I had a great opportunity to win the stage and take the yellow jersey, which I had never done before.”

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The president of the state police chief’s association said he believes that most departments in New Jersey will add the substances to the list of drugs for which officers are randomly tested after Attorney General Paula Dow pushed a spate of reforms designed to combat steroid abuse in law enforcement.

William Nally, the police chief in Lacey Township and president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, was one of several law enforcement officials to predict random steroid testing becoming more common after the Attorney General’s Office completes revisions to its drug-testing guidelines.

From NJ.com:

As part of her reforms, Dow has said the guidelines will be rewritten to give police departments new authority to test officers for steroids, which only a handful of agencies now do.

While departments are not required to conduct steroid tests under the revised rules, Nally said he expects the vast majority will take part, even if that means testing just a few officers in a given department every six months.

“I’m sure as soon as the policy is revised, almost every police department that’s involved in drug testing will incorporate this into their policies,” Nally said. “I think you’ll have complete cooperation from law enforcement.”

Nally’s comment followed a press conference in which Dow formally unveiled her reform measures, which were prompted by a Star-Ledger investigation published in December.

Dow said during Thursday’s press conference in Hamilton that the newspaper’s three-part series “highlighted the damage that can be done when a doctor’s actions go unchecked and individuals become aware of the opportunity to obtain medications they may not be entitled to.”

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Baseball pitching star Roger Clemens, winner of a record seven Cy Young Awards, sat silently in federal court as his trial opened on charges of perjury and obstruction of Congress.

The baseball star is facing charges that carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

From NPR.org:

Clemens remained expressionless as the prosecutor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Durham, told the jury that the government had physical proof that the 48-year-old onetime pitching ace had been repeatedly injected with anabolic steroids and human growth hormone.

Clemens, whose fastball was so powerful he earned the nickname “Rocket,” is not charged with using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. Rather, it is his denial of steroid and HGH use in testimony before a House committee in 2008 that could cost him his freedom. He is charged with six different counts of perjury, making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation into the use of banned substances in baseball.

Clemens said during his congressional testimony, “I’ve been accused of something I’m not guilty of. … I’ve never taken steroids or HGH.”

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Federal prosecutors landed two guilty pleas recently in what was featured in court as a multi-agency effort for taking down “a large international conspiracy” to peddle anabolic steroids and other illegal muscle building drugs.

Paul G. Matthews, 51, of the Pittsburgh area, and Ronald J. Sales, 46, of the St. Louis area, pleaded guilty and now face sentencing in September.

From Post-gazette.com:

Mr. Matthews ran Matthews Training Concepts and was caught running a steroid manufacturing facility in his home.

Although there was no testimony at hearings Tuesday to any direct business links between Mr. Matthews and Mr. Sales, both were accused of conspiracy to distribute 40,000 units of steroids in Western Pennsylvania and elsewhere, and of paying for them by sending money to Ukraine and China.

At Mr. Matthews’ guilty plea hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary McKeen Houghton said that he was doing business with two Ukrainian men, later identified as Oleksandr “Musclebear” Skochyk and Yeveniy Suray.

The two Ukrainians were indicted by a Pittsburgh-based federal grand jury a year ago for distributing illegal, Chinese-made steroids and synthetic testosterone. Arrest warrants were issued, and Ms. Houghton said the men are being extradited.

Steroids can cause aggression, mood swings, liver damage, infertility in men, and other health problems according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has recently said that it is prepared to cooperate with the probe panel set up by the sports ministry.

The sport governing body is under fire after the doping scandal that rocked the country.

From Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com:

The AFI came under severe criticism after eight athletes, including Asian Games double gold medallist Ashwini Akkunji and her gold medal winning 4×400 relay teammates Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose, flunked dope tests for anabolic steroids and it said it agreed to the “six point” decision taken by sports minister Ajay Maken after the scandal.

“The federation is ready to fully cooperate with the probe panel set up by the sports minister to go into the bottom of the scandal. We fully agree to the six point decision taken by the minister,” AFI director ML Dogra said.

“We have also instituted our internal inquiry on the doping episode. The three-member committee will submit preliminary report within a month and final report within three months,” Dogra said.

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