The founder of a Coral Gables clinic accused of providing banned performance-enhancing drugs to 13 Major League Baseball Players in one of the biggest scandal in the sport's history surrendered to authorities Tuesday to face federal criminal charges.
Anthony Bosch, 50, the founder of anti-aging clinic Biogenesis of America, is expected to make his first appearance in Miami federal court Tuesday afternoon, the Miami Herald reported. Nine other people also have been arrested, Drug Enforcement Administration spokeswoman Mia Ro said.
According to Miami federal court records, Bosch faced one count of conspiracy to distribute testosterone. The documents do not specify whether the charges are directly related to the MLB scandal.
Bosch and other Biogenesis employees are accused of providing performance-enhancing drugs to MLB players, high school athletes and others, though only the suppliers, not the users, are facing charges.
Court documents say that from October 2008 through December 2012, Bosch willfully conspired to distribute the anabolic steroid testosterone.
Fourteen players associated with the clinic were disciplined by MLB last year, including 13 suspensions. New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez was suspended for the entire 2014 season, while Ryan Braun, an MVP winner with the Milwaukee Brewers, was suspended 65 games during the 2013 season.
A Miami New Times report from January 2013, which sparked MLB's investigation, said Rodriguez had bought human growth hormone and other substances from 2009 to 2012 from Biogenesis. The newspaper said it had obtained records detailing the purchases by Rodriguez and other ballplayers.
MLB filed a lawsuit against Bosch and several others connected to the clinic but dropped the suit in February after Bosch agreed to cooperate with them.
Rodriguez, who denied using banned substances while playing for the Yankees, initially fought the suspension. He finally ended his fight with MLB in February, accepting the suspension and withdrawing a pair of lawsuits against the MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Rodriguez's suspension is the longest penalty in the sport's history related to performance-enhancing drugs. He was the only player involved in the scandal to contest his penalty.
