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The man behind the scheme, who devised a system to distribute undetectable performance-enhancing drugs to top competitors including MLB legends Giambi and Bonds and track and field star Marion Jones decades ago, has died. He was 75.

Government Probe and Convictions

The federal government's investigation into an additional venture established by Conte, Balco, led to the guilty verdicts of Jones, competitive biker Tammy Thomas, and retired NFL player Dana Stubblefield, in addition to various support personnel and professionals.

Open Discussions and Sentencing

The Balco founder, who completed a third of a year in a federal facility for dealing steroids, spoke openly about his well-known clients. He went on television to claim he had observed decorated Olympian Jones self-administer with HGH, but consistently avoided implicating Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants slugger.

Sport's Official Review

This probe resulted in the volume Game of Shadows. Just days following the release of the book in that year, the sport's chief Selig appointed ex-senator George Mitchell to look into PED use.

Conte stated he provided steroids referred to as certain undetectable drugs and advised on their use to many top performers, such as Jason Giambi, a multiple-time All-Star, according to the report.

“The illegal use of performance-enhancing substances represents a major risk to the integrity of the sport,” the Mitchell report concluded. “Prevalent consumption by competitors of these compounds harms the those who refuse to cheat who avoid them and raises questions about the validity of sporting achievements.”

The report noted the issues took time to emerge. He said each participant in baseball in the prior two decades – covering leaders, club officials, the representative body and players – were partly accountable for what he labeled the PED epoch.

How It Began

The federal investigation into Balco was initiated by a IRS investigator examining the business refuse. The defendant eventually confessed to two of the numerous counts against him in 2005 ahead of a court case. Several of the individuals found guilty were ensnared for misleading federal investigators.

Further Legal Actions

Bonds’ personal trainer Anderson, admitted guilt to steroid distribution charges arising from his involvement with Balco. Anderson was sentenced to a quarter year in jail and an equal period of home confinement.

Bonds' Legal Battles

The home run king was indicted for deceiving a investigative body about using performance-enhancing drugs and stood trial in that year. The government abandoned the charges down the line when the prosecutors opted not to challenge an reversed conviction to the highest court.

A seven-time National League MVP and frequent All-Star, he retired after the 2007 campaign with 762 homers, surpassing the mark of Aaron's total that Hank Aaron set from the 1950s to 1970s. Bonds denied consciously consuming performance-enhancing drugs but has not been voted to the sport's hall of honor.

After Incarceration

Conte stated in an interview in a 2010 discussion that “yes, athletes cheat to win, but the officials and lawyers engage in misconduct as well.” He also questioned whether the conclusions in such legal cases were worth the resources.

Following his prison term, he resumed operations in 2007 by resuscitating a health products venture he had launched years before called SNAC System. He located it in the very same place that previously contained the original company in Burlingame, California.

Defiant Stance

Conte stayed unrepentant about his key part in doling out tailored drugs to top sports stars. He claimed he simply helped “level the playing field” in a sports environment already rife with rule-breakers.

Critical Perspectives

To a WADA member, a former participant of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Conte was essentially pushing hard drugs. “It concerns unlawful substance distribution. You are talking about substance use in breach of national statutes,” he stated in 2007. “This is not philanthropy and not a benevolent act. It's trafficking.”