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MLB steroid clinic owner Anthony Bosch sentenced to 4 years

By CM Towle

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Anthony Bosch, former owner of the South Florida steroid clinic accused of providing performance enhancing drugs to MLB players, has been given four years in federal prison.

Anthony Bosch, the former owner of the steroid clinic, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Darrin Gayles on Tuesday.

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The sentence was four years in a federal prison, despite Bosch’s pursuit of a more lenient sentence due to his cooperation in the investigation. According to a story by Yahoo! Sports, Bosch is still hoping to get his sentence ultimately reduced through further cooperation.

The exact terms of his sentence are 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to a story by New York Daily News.

"“My addiction took the best of me,” Bosch told Judge Gayles, while his family members sobbed in the courtroom gallery. “I can’t put into words how sorry I am.” (via NY Daily News)"

Bosch was then given until 11:15 a.m. to surrender himself to the U.S. Marshals at the courthouse. In spite of his and his family’s plea for leniency, Bosch was given three months less than the maximum of 51 by Judge Gayles. There is a possibility for him to get a reduction in his sentence when his co-conspirators, Yuri Sucart and ex-Miami pitching coach Lazer Collazo, go to trial in April. Both Sucart and Collazo pleaded not-guilty to steroid distribution.

Bosch pleaded guilty last October to charges of conspiracy to distribute steroids to professional athletes from the Biogenesis of America clinic in Coral Gables. The clinic is now closed. One of the most famous customers was Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, who was suspended for a year and is just returning to baseball this season for New York. Rodriguez implicated his cousin, the aforementioned Yuri Sucart, in the scheme and also to having provided him with steroids ten years ago. Rodriguez may also be called to testify.

Besides Rodriguez, over a dozen other professional baseball players were supplied with steroids, HGH and other performance enhancing substances by Bosch’s clinic. A total of 14 players were suspended by the MLB, including Rodriguez, after Bosch testified and an investigation was conducted. Bosch was eventually arrested by federal agents in August of 2014. It was one of the most explosive steroid cases in league history.

Rodriguez was the only player to fight vehemently against his suspension, which was handed down on August, 2013. He eventually lost and was suspended for a total of 211 games, the longest in league history.

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