Four Plead Not Guilty in Athlete Drug Case

Attorneys for four men who pleaded not guilty Friday to distributing steroids to sports stars said it was outrageous that none of those athletes has been charged.

The four men -- including the nutritional guru to baseball slugger Barry Bonds and Bonds’ personal trainer -- were ordered by federal Magistrate Maria-Elena James to post bond by Feb. 27 or face arrest.

Those charged are Victor Conte, Bonds’ nutritional advisor and founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative at the center of the inquiry; BALCO Vice President James Valente; personal trainer Greg Anderson, and world-class track coach Remi Korchemny.

One of Conte’s attorneys, Robert Holley, said he expects it will be at least six months before the case goes to trial. Holley said he was unsure whether athletes would be called to testify.

All four defendants refused comment as they left court.

Dozens of athletes, including Bonds, Olympic track star Marion Jones and boxer Shane Mosley, appeared before a federal grand jury last fall.

Holley said Conte was not the source of steroids for athletes and was not the cause of drug problems in sports.

“It’s like going after a fly with a bazooka, and there’s a lot of other flies around,” Holley said.

The judge set bail at $100,000 for Conte, Valente and Korchemny, and $25,000 for Anderson.