A forty-one-year-old Texas man named Eric Lira has been charged with giving Olympic athletes performance-enhancing drugs before the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were held in the summer of 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
According to the court documents, Lira claimed to be a “kinesiologist and a naturopathic” doctor, practicing in and around the El Paso area.
U.S. Department of Justice prosecutors said that Lira had distributed HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and erythropoietin, the latter stimulating red blood cell production in the body.
Lira is the first person ever charged under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act of 2020, which makes it “unlawful to knowingly influence (as well as attempt or conspire to influence) a major international sports competition by use of a prohibited substance or prohibited method” (Public Law No.116-206).
Lira had given the drugs to two people, dubbed Athlete-1 and Athlete-2, the documents state. He had allegedly spoken online with the two athletes, discussing the benefits and risks of the drugs. A criminal complaint filed connects Lira to Nigerian sprinter Blessing Okagbare’s suspension in July.
No names have been officially released, but a report by the Associated Press further backs up the connection, claiming Okagbare’s suspension mirrors the description of Athlete-1’s. Prosecutors cited encoded messages discussing dosages and when to take a drug test in communications between Lira and Athlete-1.
ABC states that Lira allegedly acquired the drugs from Central and South America.
Lira is currently in federal custody.
The Rodchenkov law is one of the first of its kind to target those who distribute performance-enhancing drugs for the purpose of disrupting a sporting event, according to the Department of Justice.
FBI Assistant Director Michael J. Driscoll stated, “We allege Mr. Lira knew he was breaking the rules when he communicated with Olympians through an encrypted messaging app to hide his illegal activity.”
Lira could face up to ten years in prison for violating the Rodchenkov Act.
