Barry Bonds Re-Charged in Steroids-Related Perjury Case
In the latest development in the six-month-old federal case against Barry Bonds, the major league baseball super slugger has been re-charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in a superseding indictment (PDF provided by ESPN).
Although the career home-run leader has never been charged in connection with reported claims that he used steroids during his MLB years, Bonds is accused in the federal case of falsely testifying before a grand jury in 2003 that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. The initial indictment in November 2007 included five felony counts; this one includes 15, reports the New York Times. All concern the same testimony at issue in the earlier indictment.
His lead lawyer, Allen Ruby, says Bonds is innocent, reports ESPN.
“Legal experts said given Bonds’ clean criminal record and the nature of the charges, the home run king faces up to 2½ years in prison if convicted of all 14 counts of making false declarations to a grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice,” ESPN writes on its website. “If Bonds is convicted of all counts, he is expected to be sentenced to serve the prison term of each charge concurrently rather than consecutively.”
The 43-year-old outfielder has hit 762 home runs during his MLB career, which is now in decline. He wants to play this year, but no team has made an offer for Bonds, his agent tells ESPN.
Previous coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “After Mitchell Report, Shame, Blame … and Reform?”
ABAJournal.com: “Barry Bonds Pleads Not Guilty”
ABAJournal.com: “Barry Bonds Case Puts MLB on Trial”
