By Victor Kanayo
A man identified as Eric Lira known to have supplied banned substance to Olympic athletes has pleaded guilty.
According to United States authorities, the culprit is facing up to 10 years in prison.
Lira Joins Okagbere Lane
However, Lira’s sentence will be determined by a judge at a later date, the Department of Justice statement added.
US anti-doping officials welcomed Lira’s conviction, noting that it was made possible only by the recently enacted law.
Okagbare/Lira Connection
Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare who is currently serving a ban is among those involved in getting doping substance from Lira.
Lira was found to have supplied drugs to Okagbare in the build-up to the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
An indictment unsealed last year revealed texts between Lira and Okagbare, who is serving an 11-year ban for taking human-growth hormone and the blood booster erythropoietin (EPO) and also for failing to cooperate with the investigation.
Okagbare was actually expelled from the Tokyo Games just before the women’s 100m semi-finals.
How US Law Hooked Lira
AFP reports that Lira, a “naturopathic” therapist based in the city of El Paso, is the first individual to be convicted under a new US law introduced in the wake of Russia’s state-backed Olympic doping scandals, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
The 2020 law, named after Russian whistleblower Grigory Rodchenkov, enables the American authorities to prosecute individuals involved in international doping fraud conspiracies.
The US attorney in Manhattan, Damian Williams, called the plea “a watershed moment for international sport.”
