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The man behind the scheme, who masterminded a plan to provide undetectable banned substances to top competitors such as baseball icons Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi and Olympic track champion Jones years back, has died. He was 75.

Government Probe and Convictions

An official inquiry regarding an additional venture set up by him, Balco, resulted in the guilty verdicts of Marion Jones, competitive biker Thomas, and former NFL defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield, along with coaches, distributors, a trainer, a chemist and a lawyer.

Public Statements and Sentencing

He, who completed a third of a year in a penitentiary for dealing steroids, spoke openly about his high-profile athletes. He was featured on TV to assert he had witnessed decorated Olympian Marion Jones use a syringe with HGH, but always refrained from pointing the finger at Barry Bonds, the San Francisco Giants slugger.

Baseball's Investigation

The investigation led to the volume titled Game of Shadows. Just days following the publication date in 2006, the sport's chief Selig brought on former senate majority leader Mitchell to investigate steroids.

Conte stated he sold steroids referred to as certain undetectable drugs and advised on their use to many top performers, including Jason Giambi, a five-time major league All-Star, according to the report.

Using banned drugs poses a serious threat to the fairness of the sport,” the Mitchell report concluded. “Prevalent consumption by players of these drugs puts at a disadvantage the those who refuse to cheat who refuse to use them and creates doubts about the validity of historical stats.”

Mitchell indicated the issues took time to emerge. The report emphasized everyone involved in baseball in the prior two decades – including commissioners, club officials, the union and players – were partly accountable for what he called “the steroids era”.

Case Inception

The federal investigation into Balco started when a IRS investigator searching the business refuse. Conte ultimately admitted guilt to two of the 42 charges filed against him in the mid-2000s ahead of a court case. Several of the defendants sentenced were caught deceiving federal investigators.

Associated Convictions

His fitness instructor Greg Anderson, admitted guilt to steroid distribution charges linked to his Balco connections. He received a sentence to three months in incarceration and an equal period of home confinement.

The Slugger's Case

The home run king was accused of deceiving a investigative body about receiving performance-enhancing drugs and faced a trial in 2011. Prosecutors dropped the case after several years when the government decided not to appeal an overturned ruling to the federal apex court.

A decorated player and 14-time All-Star outfielder, he concluded his playing days after the 2007 season with 762 homers, exceeding the milestone of Aaron's total that Hank Aaron set from his career. Bonds denied intentionally taking banned substances but has not been voted to the sport's hall of honor.

After Incarceration

Conte remarked to the press in a 2010 discussion that “sportspeople break rules to succeed, but the government agents and prosecutors engage in misconduct as well.” He also questioned whether the outcomes in such proceedings merited the work.

Following his prison term, he returned to work in the late 2000s by reviving a supplements company he had founded two decades earlier called SNAC System. He located it in the identical location that previously contained Balco in the California city.

Unapologetic Views

Conte remained defiant about his major involvement in distributing designer steroids to professional competitors. He claimed he simply helped “level the playing field” in a world already rife with rule-breakers.

Expert Opinions

To a WADA member, a then-member of the global anti-doping body, Conte may as well have been distributing cocaine or heroin. “This involves blatant drug dealing. This refers to substance use in breach of national statutes,” the doctor remarked in 2007. “It's not a good deed and this is not some do-gooding. This is drug dealing.”