Steroids indictment links doctor, agents
An Orange County doctor has been indicted on steroid distribution and other charges by a federal grand jury that also alleged baseball player agents directed their clients to the doctor.
Dr. Ramon Scruggs of Costa Mesa’s New Hope Health Center and two of his associates were named in the 11-count indictment delivered by a San Jose grand jury. No players or agents were named in the 17-page indictment that was unsealed Wednesday after being filed March 5.
“Those are unsubstantiated accusations that will be disproven in a court trial,” Scruggs’ attorney, Carlos Negrete, told The Times. “Dr. Scruggs is prepared to defend his integrity in a court of law and will vigorously fight what we believe is just a witch hunt by a government trying to exploit recent publicity on this issue, and cover for its own failings in being able to regulate supplements.”
Last year, ESPN.com reported that former Angels reliever Scott Schoeneweis used prescriptions from Scruggs to obtain banned substances in 2003 and 2004, and SI.com similarly linked former Angels slugger Troy Glaus to Scruggs. At the time, Glaus declined to comment, and Schoeneweis denied the report.
Major League Baseball said in December it wouldn’t punish either player because of insufficient evidence. Glaus plays for St. Louis, Schoeneweis for the New York Mets.
Neither player was immediately available for comment Wednesday. Mike Nicotera, Glaus’ agent, did not immediately return messages left for him. Schoeneweis’ agent, Scott Boras of Newport Beach, told the Associated Press, “I have no knowledge of this medical practitioner or any relationship that he has with any of our clients. We have never referred any of our clients to a wellness center.”
Scruggs has been previously disciplined by the California Medical Board for prescription violations. Scruggs’ office consultant, Allan Danto, and his office manager, Heidi MacPherson, allegedly assisted the doctor in the smuggling of human growth hormone from China between September 2000 and May 2003, according to the indictment.
Baseball players, law enforcement officers and others received steroids, HGH and other performance-enhancing drugs, the indictment alleged.
“It was further a part of the conspiracy that, on occasion, sports representation agents for professional baseball players referred their client-players to defendants Scruggs, Danto and MacPherson for the purpose of obtaining anabolic steroids and other drugs which those individuals knew to be banned by Major League Baseball . . . ,” the indictment said.
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