Papers Support Steroid Charges

Barry Bonds’ personal trainer told federal agents he gave steroids to several baseball players, according to documents released Tuesday.

No players were identified in the documents released at a news conference at the U.S. attorney’s office, and the only time a player’s name was used in the 24 pages, it was blacked out.

But at least two newspapers around the country were e-mailed versions of the documents by the U.S. attorney’s office, and that player’s name mistakenly was not covered up. The New York Times and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Gary Sheffield was listed as having sent a package on Feb. 17, 2003, to the nutritional supplements lab allegedly at the center of the probe.

Sheffield, who signed with the New York Yankees as a free agent in December after two seasons with Atlanta, was one of several baseball players who testified before the grand jury in the case.

The material inadvertently sent to the newspapers does not allege that Sheffield used steroids, and does not specify what was in the package.

It was unclear whether the trainer, Greg Anderson, gave names to the federal agents.

Anderson was one of four men charged last week in a steroid-distribution ring that allegedly supplied athletes with banned substances. All four pleaded not guilty. No athletes have been charged.

Federal officials released two affidavits Tuesday that supported search warrants used in raids on Anderson’s home in September.

“Inside Anderson’s residence, agents found steroids, syringes and other paraphernalia associated with steroid distribution activities,” the documents said. “In addition, agents found files identifying specific athletes. These files contained calendars, which appear to contain references to daily doses of steroids and growth hormones.”

The indictment announced last week said federal agents found nearly $64,000 in cash in a locked safe at Anderson’s residence during the first raid.

“Some of the money was broken up into separate envelopes with the first names of known athlete clients written on them,” the documents released Tuesday say.

The new documents say Anderson initially denied distributing steroids in discussions with federal agents but later said he sometimes “gave” steroids to people he knew.

“Upon further questioning, Anderson admitted that he had given steroids to several professional baseball players,” the documents say.

Anderson was not available for comment. A spokeswoman for Bonds said he would not have any comment Tuesday.