DOCUMENT: Sports, Crime

Tejada Charged In Steroid Probe

Feds: MLB star lied during 2005 interview with congressional staffers

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Tejada Charged In Steroid Probe

FEBRUARY 10--Baseball star Miguel Tejada was charged today with lying to congressional investigators when asked about performance-enhancing drugs.

According to a criminal information filed in U.S. District Court, Tejada was not truthful during an August 2005 interview with staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Specifically, Tejada denied ever discussing steroids with fellow ballplayers or knowing whether a former Oakland A's teammate had used steroids.

Prosecutors began probing Tejada's statements after disclosures in the 2007 Mitchell Report contradicted the ballplayer's claims to House investigators.

The information, a copy of which you'll find here, alleges that Tejada, 34, had several conversations in early-2003 with an A's teammate about steroids and HGH and subsequently gave 'player #1' two checks totaling $6300 for the purchase of 'substances which [Tejada] believes to be HGH.' While not named in the criminal information, the other player was identified in the Mitchell Report as Adam Piatt.

Tejada, now with the Houston Astros, is expected to appear in court tomorrow and enter a guilty plea to the misdemeanor charge. (7 pages)