Ryan Braun given immunity by feds in Biogenesis case

In a Miami Herald report detailing the confession of Alex Rodriguez to DEA agents investigating the Biogenesis clinic that he used PEDs obtained there comes the news that the Brewers' Ryan Braun was one of the players given immunity from prosecution.

The report says Braun and eight other players were given immunity by federal prosecutors for their testimony in the Biogenesis investigation in which charges were filed againt clinic operator Tony Bosch and an associate. The other players given immunity were Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz, Melky Cabrera, Francisco Cervelli, Yasmani Grandal, Cesar Puello, Jordany Valdespin and Manny Rodriguez.

MLB suspended 14 players for their involvement in buying PEDs from the Biogenesis clinic. Rodriguez had an original 211-game suspension reduced to 162 games by an arbitrator. Braun received the second-longest suspension, sitting out the final 65 games of the 2013 season.

Braun tested positive for synthetic testosterone in October 2011 but avoided a 50-game suspension on appeal and denied using PEDs for a year and a half before being caught in the Biogenesis investigation and subsequently suspended by MLB.

The report says Miami criminal defense attorney Frank Quintero, who is representing an associate of Bosch accused of conspiring to distribute steroids to high school athletes, said the government's deal with Rodriguez was "a farce" and that none of the players should have been granted immunity.

“From the evidence that we’ve seen, there is no question that Rodriguez and some of the other major league ballplayers should never have received immunity and, in fact, should have been prosecuted because they committed crimes,” Quintero said.

“The immunity given to Rodriguez and these other ballplayers is an attempt by the Justice Department to cover up their alleged crimes,” he added. “MLB committed the same alleged crimes that these ballplayers did by bribing witnesses, interfering with the state and federal investigations and obstructing justice, all of which was recently reported in New Times.”


(jsonline.com)