Korchemny avoids jail time for role
in Balco case

By Jason Bennert, Bay City News Service

February 24, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Remi Korchemny, the final defendant to be sentenced in the BALCO case, avoided jail time today when a federal judge sentenced the track coach to one year's probation.

Korchemny, 73, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in July to a single misdemeanor count in connection with his role in the performance-enhancing drugs scandal surrounding the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative. He admitted distributing illegal performance-enhancing drugs, including a testosterone cream known as "The Cream,'' to track and field athletes he was coaching between September 2000 and September 2003.

None of the athletes who received performance-enhancing drugs from Korchemny or any of the other BALCO defendants has been named in court documents but media reports have linked Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and other sports luminaries to BALCO.

"This sentencing brings to a close this chapter of an investigation and prosecution that has focused worldwide attention on illicit use of drugs and performance-enhancing substances in sports. This problem is ongoing as is further demonstrated by recent events at the current Winter Olympic games,'' U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan said in a statement today.

"The continued focus on this problem by the Department of Justice and law enforcement serves as an important step toward the national and international goal of eradicating the use of illegal drugs in sports.''

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