TROUBLE FOR BONDS?

Federal investigators may now have physical evidence that could prove whether Barry Bonds and other star athletes took "designer" steroids supplied by a San Francisco-area lab that is the target of a big federal drug investigation. A spokesman for Quest Diagnostics, a national medical-testing firm, confirmed to NEWSWEEK that federal agents in Las Vegas, armed with a search warrant, last week seized urine samples and drug-test results provided by Major League Baseball. Quest said that it previously had received a government subpoena for samples and results supplied by several named players--who according to The New York Times included Bonds and New York Yankees sluggers Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield--but had been unable to turn over the evidence because it indexed the samples and results only by code numbers. Another company, Comprehensive Drug Testing of Long Beach, Calif., had the key to the code numbers. Comprehensive, which was also raided by the Feds, had no comment on the investigation. But Quest said that when the Feds visited its office, agents had code numbers for specific test results and samples. Government officials have said the indictment of four men--including Bonds's personal trainer--didn't end the steroids investigation.

Some sources close to the investigation say players who can be proved to have lied to a grand jury about their steroid use could face possible prosecution for perjury. Bonds, Giambi and other players (as well as U.S. Olympians and other sports pros) have testified before the grand jury investigating the scandal. While their testimony is still secret, Bonds has repeatedly denied using steroids. But the slugger's lawyer, Michael Rains, recently expressed concern that the government might be trying to set a "perjury trap" for his client.

© 2004