Man charged with supplying performance drugs to Olympians
Source: Associated Press
Man charged with supplying performance drugs to Olympians
By JIM MUSTIAN
January 12, 2022
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. prosecutors charged a Texas man on Wednesday with providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes competing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, including the star Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare.
Eric Lira, 41, of El Paso, is the first person to be charged under a new U.S. anti-doping law governing international sports competitions.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said Lira distributed the drugs, including human growth hormone, “for the purpose of corrupting” the 2020 Games. Lira also is accused of conspiring to violate drug misbranding and adulteration laws. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney who could comment on the charges.
The criminal complaint does not name Okagbare, but includes details suggesting she was among Lira’s clients. A text message was sent to Okagbare seeking comment.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/sports-texas-new-york-manhattan-2020-tokyo-olympics-d627d0bc6d2a86e925c9b53b2588440a
Blessing Okagbare, of Nigeria races in a women's 200 meter heat at the World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, Sept. 30, 2019. U.S. prosecutors charged a Texas man on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022 with providing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes competing in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, including Okagbare. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, file)