Eric Lira Allegedly Distributed Multiple Performance Enhancing Drugs in an Effort to Corrupt the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of the first criminal charge under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, signed into law on December 4, 2020, which proscribes doping schemes at international sports competitions, including the Olympic Games.

The Complaint unsealed today alleges that ERIC LIRA, a “naturopathic” therapist operating principally in the area of El Paso, Texas, obtained various performance enhancing drugs (“PEDs”) and distributed those PEDs to certain athletes in advance of, and for the purpose of cheating at, the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo in the summer of 2021. LIRA was taken into federal custody today and is expected to be presented in the Western District of Texas today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Miguel A. Torres.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “At a moment that the Olympic Games offered a poignant reminder of international connections in the midst of a global pandemic that had separated communities and countries for over a year, and at a moment that the Games offered thousands of athletes validation after years of training, Eric Lira schemed to debase that moment by peddling illegal drugs. The promise of the Olympic Games is a global message of unification. Today, this Office sends a strong message to those who would taint the Games and seek to profit from that corruption.”

FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll said: “Performance enhancing substances deprive competitors of a level playing field. We allege Mr. Lira knew he was breaking the rules when he communicated with Olympians through an encrypted messaging app to hide his illegal activity. It's not winning if you take illegal substances - it's cheating, and Mr. Lira will now be forced to face the consequences of his alleged criminal actions.”

As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

The charges in this Complaint arises from an investigation of a scheme to provide Olympic athletes with PEDs, including drugs widely banned throughout competitive sports such as human growth hormone and the “blood building” drug erythropoietin, in advance of and for the purpose of corrupting the 2020 Olympic Games, which convened in Tokyo in the summer of 2021. LIRA, who claims to be a “kinesiologist and naturopathic” doctor operating principally in and around El Paso, Texas, obtained misbranded versions of these, and other, prescription drugs from sources in Central and South America, before bringing those drugs into the United States and distributing them to, among other, the two athletes referred to in the Complaint as “Athlete-1” and “Athlete-2.” Throughout the scheme, LIRA and Athlete-1 communicated via encrypted electronic communications discuss the sale, shipment, and use of LIRA’s illegal drugs, and specifically discussed the “testability” of those drugs by anti-doping authorities. For example, on or about June 13, 2021, Athlete-1 wrote to LIRA, “So I took 2000ui of the E [erythropoietin] yesterday, is it safe to take a test this morning?” LIRA replied, “Good day [Athlete-1] . . . . 2000 ui is a low dosage.” Athlete-1 replied further, “Remember I took it Wednesday and then yesterday again / I wasn’t sure so I didn’t take a test / I just let them go so it will be a missed test.”

LIRA and Athlete-1, in particular, explicitly acknowledged the effectiveness of the doping program achieved through the use of LIRA’s illegal drugs. On or about June 22, 2021, Athlete-1 wrote to LIRA, “Hola amigo / Eric my body feel so good / I just ran 10.63 in the 100m on Friday / with a 2.7 wind / I am sooooo happy / Ericccccccc / Whatever you did, is working so well.” Shortly thereafter, and in advance of Athlete-1’s arrival in Tokyo to compete in the 2020 Olympics, LIRA encouraged his client: “What you did . . . is going to help you for the upcoming events. You are doing your part and you will be ready to dominate” (ellipsis in original).

Notwithstanding the attempt to evade anti-doping tests, LIRA and Athlete-1 were discovered in their scheme. On or about July 19, 2021, Athlete-1 underwent an out-of-competition blood collection for purposes of drug testing by the Athletics Integrity Unit, a body charged with ensuring fair competition and prevention of doping at the Tokyo Olympics, among other competitions. The results of that testing reflected Athlete-1’s use of human growth hormone. On or about July 30, 2021, Athlete-1 was provisionally suspended from Olympic competition, including in the women’s 100m semi-finals set to take place that same evening.

LIRA is the first defendant charged pursuant to the recently enacted Rodchenkov Act. On December 4, 2020, the Rodchenkov Act was signed into law, Pub. L. 116-206, and incorporated into Title 21 of the United States Code at sections 2401 through 2404. The Rodchenkov Act prohibits any person, other than an athlete, to knowingly carry into effect, attempt to carry into effect, or conspire with any other person to carry into effect a scheme in commerce to influence by use of a prohibited substance or prohibited method any major international sports competition. 21 U.S.C. § 2402.

ERIC LIRA, 41, of El Paso, Texas, is, in addition to the charge under the Rodchenkov Act, accused of conspiring with others to violate the drug misbranding and adulteration laws of the United States, in violation 18 U.S.C. § 371 and 21 U.S.C. §§ 331 & 333(a)(2). The maximum term of imprisonment under the Rodchenkov Act is 10 years, and the maximum term of imprisonment for conspiring to violate the misbranding laws is 5 years. These maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge assigned to each case.

* * *

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the FBI’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative. Mr. Williams also thanked the United States Anti-Doping Agency for their support of this investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi and Andrew C. Adams are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the descriptions of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

The US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York

Athlete-2 (Male) is unknown for now

Athlete-1 matches Blessing Okagbare who was provisionally suspended in July last year, just before the semi-finals of the women's 100metres at the Tokyo2020 Olympics.

https://www.nairaland.com/6677864/tokyo2020-blessing-okagbare-provisionally-suspended#104266325

For example, on or about June 13, 2021, Athlete-1 wrote to LIRA, “So I took 2000ui of the E [erythropoietin] yesterday, is it safe to take a test this morning?” LIRA replied, “Good day [Athlete-1] . . . . 2000 ui is a low dosage.” Athlete-1 replied further, “Remember I took it Wednesday and then yesterday again / I wasn’t sure so I didn’t take a test / I just let them go so it will be a missed test.”

Ok na

Reminds me of Marion jones

Na person wey dem catch be thief.

Aunty Blessing just do and retire , you don old for the jungle


By the way, Buhari is proud of you.

N

Finally some vindication! At least her name is cleared.

These goes a long way to show how people deliberately set up others for failure especially when they know you are going to be great.

Ok ooo

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Damn

Dem no go upload d picture of the dealer...

Dey know aw to always protect dere own....

Hmmm

But why use performance enhancement drugs like how would you feel when you are crowned winner after an event?

I learnt from an early age that you dont need to cheat to be great

No this is not happening, how can our own dear blessing involve herself in this mess, wow maybe is a set up but right now am ashamed on behalf of our darling blessing

Ever since this young brother got engaged in a street fight, we never knew he was doping full time marijuana. He beat 3 men in soccer game and scored hatrick, then we realized that drugs are gem in human being.
With a pot of waterleave soup granized with dried fish pallets he got revived back.

Hello

Oh dear

who is the "athlete 1"?

Ok

Sad

How these people think they would use these drugs and evade cutting edge testing system baffles me. The advancement in testing algorithm makes it almost impossible to evade detection. Yet they won't stop trying to game the system

But how did the FBI obtain encrypted communication? Does it mean that when WhatsApp and the limes trumpets encryption, they lied??

All these started with one person’s visit to an athlete’s Florida home. The said person being protected by the whistleblower Act saw the drugs, took pics and sent the pics to the FBI. I wonder why Nigerians don’t get this, if an oyinbo person is getting close to you uptown, best check ursef and give chance! Village pipo no reach oyinbo pipo for envy and scheming, dey literally cannot sleep wen dey know someone they’re envious of is still breathing!! Poor Blessing, small enhancement drug wen bin don change her face from the Olumo Rock it was to a Rihanna lookalike. How she go take continue dey fine now wen Eric don enter sanko??

Make I rant small,

PEDs are considered a form of cheating right? Would it be cheating if those drugs weren’t proscribed illegal and all athletes could take them? These anti-doping institutions talk about “a level playing ground” in sports, is there really such a thing?

The average American (first world countries) athlete is able to get access to best facilities, coaches routines and regiments, nutrition, tools necessary for development into a world class athlete from the age of seven. How many of the PROFESSIONAL athletes in the third world have access to these let alone the amateur athletes. All of these erodes the notion of a level playing ground in sports.

On the average, it takes an athlete 10years of dedicated training to become a professional. Athletes in the first world are able to start by age 5,6,7 and by the time they are 15, 16, 17 The progress and transition into a professional athlete is cemented. The average third world athlete can barely find a good facility and coach at age seventeen. They struggle and train hard on their own and with their own resources sometimes into their late 20s or early 30s before they get a chance to go professional (many never get the chance. Do you wonder why they are more cases of age cheating from the third world?).

Are PEDs a form of cheating? Yes but only because these drugs are proscribed as illegal. Throw it open, someone will still win these contests and there’ll be less business for bootleggers. What I am however more triggered about is the notion that there’s a level playing field for athletes. It simply doesn’t exist.

Oh shit

Sugarcious:
Finally some vindication! At least her name is cleared.

These goes a long way to show how people deliberately set up others for failure especially when they know you are going to be great.

Cleared

This is evidence that she knowingly participated in doping.

Her career is on the line.

FBI. They can investigate for the world. Those athletes should be ashamed of themselves.