Eric Lira, a naturopathic therapist from El Paso, is the first to be accused under a new law that bans doping programs in international sports competitions.
A Texas man was arrested Wednesday after federal authorities said he was distributing performance-enhancing drugs to athletes ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The man, Eric Lira, a naturopathic therapist in El Paso, allegedly obtained the drugs “for the purpose of fraud” and distributed them to two athletes while they were preparing for the Tokyo Games last summer, U.S. Attorneys said for the south. This was announced by New York on Wednesday
He was due to appear in court later Wednesday in the Western District of Texas. It was unclear whether he had a lawyer.
Lira, 41, reportedly received versions of drugs that are widely banned in competitive sports, including human growth hormone and erythropoietin, a “blood-building” drug, as well as other prescription drugs from sources in Central America and del Sur, according to a disclosed complaint. Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan.
Lira is accused of distributing the drugs to two athletes, referred to as “Athlete1” and “Athlete2” in the complaint.
According to the complaint, he used an encrypted messaging app to speak to the Olympians.
In an exchange on November 18, 2020, Athlete1 Lira asked how much medication she would need for herself and Athlete2, the authorities said.
Throughout the program, Athlete1 and Lira “specifically discussed the ‘likelihood’ of these drugs being used by the anti-doping authorities,” the complaint said.
So I took 2000 ui of E [erythropoietin] yesterday, is it safe to be tested this morning? “The athlete asked around June 13, the authorities said.
Lira, according to the complaint, answered, “The good day [Atlete1] .2000 Ui is a low dose.
Athlete1 added, “Remember, I did it again on Wednesday and then yesterday / I wasn’t sure so I didn’t take a test / I just let you go so it’s a lost test.” In another piece of news dated or around June 22nd, Athlete 1 was said to have been delighted with the drugs’ effectiveness. Recommended
Hey buddy / Eric my body feels so good / I just ran 10.63 on 100m on Friday / in 2.7 wind / I’m so happy / Ericccccccc / Whatever you’ve done it’s working great”, the athlete wrote, according to The Complaint.
What you did … will help you for the next events. You do your part and you will be ready to dominate, ”he wrote, according to the application.
But the athlete was eventually exposed and suspended from competition.
The Athlet1 was subjected to a blood collection process of outofcompetition for drug testing by the athletic integrity unit, which to ensure fair competition and to prevent doping in the Olympic Games in or around July 19, says the complaint.
The results showed the use of human growth hormone, and around July 30th, Athlete 1 was provisionally suspended from Olympic competition, including the women’s 100-meter semifinals, which will be played that night.
Lira is accused of violating the Rodchenkov law, passed in December 2020, which bans doping conspiracies at every major international sports competition. Rape carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.
He is also accused of conspiring with others to break U.drug’s counterfeit and adulteration laws, which carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Prosecutor Damian Williams said in a statement that the charges “would send a strong message to those who would tarnish the Games and seek to profit from this corruption.”
At a time when the Olympics were a poignant reminder of international connections amid a global pandemic that had separated communities and countries for more than a year, and at a time when the Games brought recognition to thousands of athletes after years of training Eric Lira planned to make this moment worse by selling illegal drugs, ”he said.
