Track coach Graham sentenced to home confinement

Oct 22, 2008 - 2:56 AM SAN FRANCISCO (Ticker) -- Trevor Graham, the track coach whose anonymous tip helped the government uncover the BALCO ring in 2003, was sentenced on Tuesday to a year of home confinement for lying to federal agents in 2004.

Graham, 45, also must pay a fine of $5,000 and serve five years probation.

Graham was convicted of lying by a jury earlier this year, when he told IRS investigators he did not know a steroid dealer by the name of Angel Heredia.

Best known for coaching world-class track stars Marion Jones, Antonio Pettigrew, Tim Montgomery and Jerome Young, Graham became the catalyst to the BALCO probe when he mailed anti-doping officials a syringe containing traces of the then-undetectable steroid THG known as "The Clear."

In October 2003, federal agents staged a raid and discovered doping evidence.

They later questioned Graham about Heredia, a one-time shot-putter and steroid dealer. He received a written promise that he would receive immunity for crimes to which he confessed as long as he was truthful with the agents.

Graham said Heredia never supplied performance-enhancing drugs to athletes he trained and maintained he never had met Heredia.

At trial, taped phone conversations and a photo of the two together were produced as evidence. Athletes also testified that Graham told them to get drugs from Heredia.

The U.S. Attorney's office now focuses on Barry Bonds, who is slated for trial on March 2.

The same prosecutors and same judge who oversaw the Graham case will handle Bonds' trial. The all-time home run king faces a 15-count indictment.