THE SIDELINES : Bodybuilder Admits Drugs Use
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The winner of the 1988 Mr. USA bodybuilding title, who said he used anabolic steroids to keep up with the competition, has pleaded guilty to charges he accepted a shipment of the illegal drugs.
John DeFendis, 32, of Lake Worth, Fla., told U.S. District Judge James C. Paine the 149 ampuls of muscle-building steroids were for his personal use and were a gift from a French bodybuilder.
“I used steroids because I’m a professional athlete and because you’re almost required to do so,” DeFendis said after the hearing. “I wasn’t using steroids to get an edge on the competition; I was using them to keep up with the competition.”
DeFendis faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 27.
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