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The man behind the scheme, who masterminded a plan to supply stealthy performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes such as baseball greats Giambi and Bonds and track and field star Jones in the past, has died. He was 75.

Federal Investigation and Convictions

The federal government's inquiry regarding a separate firm established by Conte, Balco, culminated in the criminal findings of Jones, top track cyclist Thomas, and ex-pro football defender Stubblefield, as well as various support personnel and professionals.

Open Discussions and Sentencing

The Balco founder, who completed a third of a year in a penitentiary for steroid distribution, talked publicly about his high-profile athletes. He appeared on broadcast media to claim he had witnessed triple Olympic champion Jones self-administer with HGH, but consistently avoided pointing the finger at Bonds, the Giants power hitter.

The Mitchell Report

This probe resulted in the book Game of Shadows. Shortly after the release of the book in 2006, baseball Commissioner Bud Selig hired former senate majority leader George Mitchell to examine doping in baseball.

He revealed he distributed steroids known as “the cream” and “the clear” and coached on their use to numerous top performers, like Jason Giambi, a multiple-time All-Star, according to the report.

“The illegal use of PEDs poses a serious threat to the fairness of the sport,” the findings emphasized. “Prevalent consumption by players of these compounds puts at a disadvantage the those who refuse to cheat who avoid them and raises questions about the accuracy of baseball records.”

Mitchell indicated the problems didn’t develop overnight. He said each participant in the sport in the preceding decades – encompassing leaders, team executives, the union and players – were partly accountable for what he called “the steroids era”.

Case Inception

The government's case into Balco started when a tax agent digging through the company’s trash. He eventually confessed to two of the 42 charges he faced in 2005 before a trial. Several of the individuals found guilty were ensnared for deceiving federal investigators.

Related Cases

The athlete's coach Anderson, pleaded guilty to steroid distribution charges stemming from his involvement with Balco. Anderson was sentenced to three months in incarceration and the same duration of house arrest.

His Court Proceedings

The baseball legend was charged with lying to a grand jury about using banned substances and went on trial in the early 2010s. Prosecutors dropped the case down the line when the authorities chose not to contest an overturned ruling to the supreme court.

A multiple MVP winner and star performer, Bonds concluded his playing days after the that season with a record home run tally, exceeding the milestone of that number that Aaron achieved from his career. Bonds denied intentionally taking performance-enhancing drugs but has not been voted to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Later Years

Conte remarked to the press in a 2010 interview that “sportspeople break rules to triumph, but the federal representatives engage in misconduct as well.” He also questioned whether the outcomes in such proceedings were worth the resources.

Following his prison term, Conte returned to work in the late 2000s by reviving a health products venture he had founded previously called Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning or SNAC System. He operated in the same building that once housed his former lab in Burlingame, California.

Unapologetic Views

He remained defiant about his central role in distributing custom PEDs to top sports stars. He argued he simply helped “level the playing field” in a arena full of rule-breakers.

Outside Views

To a WADA member, a former participant of the World Anti-Doping Agency, he was essentially selling hard drugs. “This involves totally illegal drug trafficking. It's about using drugs in violation of federal law,” Wadler said in that period. “It's not a good deed and not a benevolent act. This is drug dealing.”