Jones' guilty plea awaited in doping case
05.10.2007 14:02
Sport and Travel
- Source: USA Today
Track and field star Marion Jones, after repeated denials, is admitting for the first time she used performance-enhancing drugs, according to a report on The Washington Post website.
The newspaper says Jones is expected to plead guilty Friday to charges of lying to federal investigators. She could face prison time and the loss of her Olympic medals. Jones is scheduled to appear at 4 p.m. ET in Southern District Court in White Plains, N.Y., a court official with knowledge of the hearing told USA TODAY. ANALYSIS: Jones always steadfast in denialsARCHIVED AUDIO: Jones proclaims innocence in '04 The Post reported Jones mailed friends and family a letter containing the news, including that she could spend up to six months in prison. Jones, The Post reported, is expected to plead guilty to two charges of lying plus involvement in a money-laundering and check-fraud scheme involving sprinter Tim Montgomery, with whom she had a child, plus coach Steve Riddick, both convicted in the case. According to the letter in The Post, Jones said she was given "the clear," a designer steroid undetectable by testing at the time, by then-coach Trevor Graham, scheduled for trial in November for lying to investigators about his involvement with drugs. She said she was told the substance was flaxseed oil. USA TODAY could not confirm the letter. Travis Tygart, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO, reached by phone, said, "I can't comment at this time." Craig Masback, CEO of USA Track and Field, said in a statement: "Anything that exposes the truth about drug use in sport is good for ensuring the integrity of sport. While USATF has no knowledge of any letter or pending plea agreement regarding Marion Jones, we continue our long-stated support for the efforts of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and the federal government." Darryl Seibel, spokesman for the U.S. Olympic Committee, said it was "too early" to determine if Jones would lose her medals. "But our position on doping is unequivocal. We will not tolerate it, we will not condone it and we will not allow it. If an athlete is caught cheating, they deserve to pay the highest price." Dr. Don Catlin, who was in charge of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab from 1982 to 2007, said it's his understanding that the International Olympic Committee reopened a hearing on Jones last year. "That's a huge change in the IOC, to get the full facts in the story," Catlin said. "If this whole confession is true, they may go after her medals." Contributing: Vicki Michaelis, Jill Lieber Steeg
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