Add Jay Gibbons to the list of players sent performance-enhancing drugs from Signature Pharmacy. The Baltimore Orioles outfielder reportedly received human growth hormone, testosterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (which is not banned by Major League Baseball).
A source in Florida with knowledge of Signature Pharmacy’s client list alleges that between October 2003 and July 2005, Gibbons received six separate shipments of Genotropin (a brand name for synthetic Human Growth Hormone), two shipments of testosterone and two shipments of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone produced naturally during pregnancy, but taken by anabolic steroid users to stimulate the production of testosterone, which is suppressed as a result of steroid use. The information regarding Gibbons only pertains to receipt and not actual use of the drugs.
Gibbons procured the steroids and hGH through the South Beach Rejuvenation Center/Modern Therapy, a Miami Beach anti-aging clinic. The prescriptions were filled by Signature Pharmacy, the Orlando, Florida based compounding pharmacy raided during an investigation of a major performance-enhancing drug distribution ring involving bogus prescriptions dispensed over the internet.
Of the two prescribing physicians in Gibbons’ file, one was A. Almarashi. Investigators believe Almarashi is an alias for a Queens, N.Y., doctor, Ana Maria Santi, who was stripped of her medical license in 1999, but continued writing bogus prescriptions for thousands of on-line customers she never examined. In July 2007, Santi pleaded guilty to a felony count of criminal diversion of prescription medications and prescriptions, making her the first person to do so in a case spearheaded by the Albany County (NY) District Attorneys office and New York State’s Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement.
Gibbons was reportedly named in the Jason Grimsley affidavit. Grimsley said Gibbons (along with Brian Roberts and Miguel Tejada) “took anabolic steroids.” In the same affidavit Grimsley claimed Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte took “athletic performance-enhancing drugs.” When the details from Grimsley’s affidavit were leaked to the media in October 2006, Gibbons denied the claims.
“I have passed every test administered by Major League Baseball over all the years. And I am not going to dignify these claims and accusations with any further response.”
UPDATE:
ESPN reported September 18, 2007 that Gibbons had met with officials from the Commissioner’s Office to discuss the media reports linking him to Signature Pharmacy. Gibbons sat down with Rob Manfred, baseball’s executive vice president for labor relations, and Jon Coyles, the director of drug testing. Gibbons was accompanied by Michael Weiner, general counsel of the players’ association, and Seth Levinson, one of Gibbons’ agents.
“I met with Major League Baseball representatives [yesterday] and was happy to answer all of their questions,”