Stubblefield pleads guilty in BALCO case
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - January 18, 2008 Stubblefield, a three-time Pro Bowl player who testified before
the BALCO grand jury in November 2003, was charged with making
false statements to federal agents about his use of
performance-enhancing drugs.
The charges, unsealed in federal court, allege Stubblefield made
false statements to an IRS agent when he said he had not used
steroids linked to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative and denied
receiving performance enhancers from BALCO founder Victor Conte.
The 37-year-old Stubblefield appeared in court to enter his plea
to the false statements charge. The plea deal calls for him to
spend zero to six months in prison.
Stubblefield and his attorney, Mike Armstong, declined to
comment as they left court.
Stubblefield is the latest target in a federal investigation
that has spanned five years and ensnared several elite athletes and
members of the Burlingame-based steroids distribution ring,
including Conte, who served four months in prison.
The biggest name was Barry Bonds, the former San Francisco Giant
and baseball's career home run king. He pleaded not guilty to
perjury and obstruction of justice charges and is awaiting trial.
Stubblefield played on the defensive line for the San Francisco
49ers, Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders from 1993-03, and
was the NFL defensive player of the year in 1997 while with the
49ers.
He was one of three players fined by the NFL for testing
positive for the designer steroid THG, but he was not suspended
because THG was not added to the NFL's banned substance list until
after the tests were conducted.