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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
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James Shortt
Doctor Censured in Steroid Probe (New York Times April 15, 2005) Bodybuilders testify before grand jury investigating doctor (AP Wed, Jun. 22, 2005) Report: Ex-Panther Donnalley added to steroids scandal (AP 7/13/2005) Shortt says he treated 18 players (The State 08/13/2005) West Columbia doctor tells HBO he provided half with steroids, ‘most’ with growth hormone
Shortt faces grand jury (The State Aug. 18, 2005) Doctor indicted for giving steroids to NFL players (The State Sep. 21, 2005) Weight lifters vital to steroids probe (The State Sep. 29, 2005) One bodybuilder gave doctor’s name to Carolina Panthers players; 2nd led authorities to him. Physician pleads not guilty (The State Oct 13, 2005) Doctor's tapes played at trial (Whittier Daily News 12/3/2005) Shortt agrees to plead guilty under deal with prosecutors (The State Feb. 14, 2006) Shortt pleads guilty in steroids case (The Mercury News Mar. 06, 2006) Report: Teen boy a patient of Shortt (Charlotte Observer Mar. 09, 2006) Doctor Who Gave Panthers Steroids Barred (AP May 24, 2006) Steroid doctor jailed (AP July 17, 2006)
1 5 - 0 4 - 2 0 0 5 Doctor Censured in Steroid Probe
New York Times
The South Carolina State Board of Medical Examiners yesterday suspended Dr. James M. Shortt, who has been accused of writing steroid prescriptions for three players on the Carolina Panthers. The board said that Shortt had been suspended for prescribing anabolic steroids to patients who did not need them, for regularly giving patients intravenous hydrogen peroxide before the board told him to stop it, and for "seriously threatening" patients with other substances and faulty administrative procedures. One of the patients given hydrogen peroxide subsequently bled to death, and the coroner ruled it a homicide, prompting an investigation. The suspension states no time limit. Shortt has 10 days to request a hearing on whether it should remain in place. The CBS news program "60 Minutes Wednesday" reported March 30 that punter Todd Sauerbrun, center Jeff Mitchell and the former Carolina offensive lineman Todd Steussie had filled prescriptions for testosterone cream written by Shortt during the 2003 season. 2 2 - 0 6 - 2 0 0 5 Bodybuilders testify before grand jury investigating doctor
Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Six current or former bodybuilders testified Tuesday before a grand jury investigating a South Carolina who also is being investigated for his prescriptions to members of the Carolina Panthers.
Only one of the six men subpoenaed identified themselves outside the secret proceedings, The (Columbia) State reported.
A lawyer for Sonny Poyner told the newspaper Poyner testified before the panel investigating Dr. James Shortt and was asked who gave him steroids. "Any steroids he used, the original source was Dr. Shortt," lawyer John O'Leary said.
Poyner also tipped the Drug Enforcement Administration that Shortt had a reputation in Columbia for readily prescribing steroids, O'Leary said.
The DEA is investigating whether Shortt illegally prescribed steroids and human growth hormones to current and former Carolina Panthers as well as others.
Poyner's lawyer also confirmed the bodybuilder was the unnamed source in a sworn statement who told DEA agents he paid Shortt about $1,000 in 2002 for medical tests that resulted in a steroids prescription, according to The State.
In that statement, Poyner said Shortt did not talk about the results of blood and urine tests, instead prescribing Poyner steroids after he told the doctor his goal was to get bigger.
Shortt's medical license was suspended in April after the South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners found he prescribed the steroid testosterone to four unidentified male patients "in doses and frequencies that were extremely unlikely to have been prescribed with any legitimate medical justification."
Shortt also faces a criminal investigation in the death of a woman who died three days after receiving intravenous hydrogen peroxide to help her multiple sclerosis.
1 3 - 0 7 - 2 0 0 5 Report: Ex-Panther Donnalley added to steroids scandal
Posted 7/13/2005
CHARLOTTE — A former Carolina Panthers offensive lineman bought steroids from a South Carolina physician under federal investigation, the Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday. Kevin Donnalley, a starting guard for the Panthers in the 2004 Super Bowl who retired after the championship game, was a patient of Dr. James Shortt of West Columbia, S.C., during at least 2003 and 2004, and obtained testosterone through the doctor, according to two unnamed sources that asked the Observer to protect their identities because of legal concerns. Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said he didn't know of Donnalley testing positive for steroids while he was with the Panthers. He declined additional comment. The Panthers have said in the past that none of their current or former players are targets of the investigation of Shortt. Donnalley, 37, a Raleigh native, played 13 years in the NFL following his college career at Davidson and North Carolina. He started six games for the Panthers in 2001 before a knee injury sidelined him. He was a full-time starter in 2002 and 2003. He declined to comment to the Observer. He was named in May as football coach at Charlotte Christian School. He is the third member of the Panthers starting offensive line from their Super Bowl team, and the fourth team member overall, identified as having obtained steroids through Shortt. A CBS News report in March named center Jeff Mitchell, tackle Todd Steussie and punter Todd Sauerbrun as having filled prescriptions written by Shortt for steroids, including within two weeks before the team's Super Bowl appearance on Feb. 1, 2004. Only Mitchell remains with the Panthers. Sauerbrun was traded to the Denver Broncos in May, and Steussie is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners suspended Shortt's medical license in April. According to the board's suspension order, Shortt prescribed the steroid testosterone to four unnamed male patients "in doses and frequencies that were extremely unlikely to have been prescribed with any legitimate medical justification." The board would not say whether those four patients were Panthers players. Shortt is also under investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division for possible illegal steroids distribution. A grand jury in Columbia has heard testimony about Shortt from some current and former Panthers players, according to The (Columbia, S.C.) State newspaper. Shortt declined comment about Donnalley. The doctor told the Observer in March that he had prescribed steroids in low doses to patients when medically necessary and not to athletes for performance enhancement. 1 3 - 0 8 - 2 0 0 5 Shortt says he treated 18 players
West Columbia doctor tells HBO he provided half with steroids, ‘most’ with growth hormone
By DAVID NEWTON and RICK BRUNDRETT CHARLOTTE - Add former Pro Bowl tight end Wesley Walls to the list of one-time Carolina Panthers linked to Dr. James Shortt, a West Columbia physician under federal investigation for distributing illegal steroids to NFL players. Walls, who is retired and living in Charlotte, was one of four players linked to Shortt for the first time by HBO on Friday’s edition of CostasNOW. In an interview for the show, Shortt said he treated approximately 18 NFL players during the past five years, providing half with anabolic steroids, which are banned by the league, and most with injections of growth hormones, which also are illegal. Defensive lineman John Milem, who appeared on the cable program, was identified as 'patient zero', or Shortt’s first NFL client. Milem said a bodybuilder introduced him to Shortt. He initially was wary about seeking Shortt’s help, saying, 'I stood in the parking lot for 20 minutes.' He told HBO he eventually took steroids twice a week for five months. Former San Francisco guard Dave Fiori and former Atlanta defensive tackle Henry Taylor also were identified. Punter Todd Sauerbrun, center Jeff Mitchell and tackle Todd Steussie and retired guard Kevin Donnalley were previously linked to Shortt. Shortt insisted on the HBO program that he had done nothing wrong, that his prescriptions for steroids and growth hormones were to heal injuries, not to enhance performance. Walls was injured throughout his last two years with Carolina before not being re-signed following the 2002 season. Walls could not be reached for comment Friday. Shortt said the doses prescribed were under the limit tested for by the NFL, which has since reduced that number and increased testing. There still is no foolproof test to detect growth hormones. Shortt is the subject of a federal grand jury investigation, which began April 26, into allegations of illegal steroid prescriptions. The NFL also launched an investigation of Shortt after initial news reports. The NFL has not said whether the investigation remains active. Calls to the league office Friday were not returned. 'I really in my heart of hearts believe they’re going to have a difficult time,' Shortt said when asked if he would be found guilty. 'I’m just trying to help some folks heal and repair and maintain, and do as well as they can do.' Attorney Richard Gergel, who represents the families of two patients who died under Shortt’s care, had a different reaction after watching the program. 'Dr. Shortt comes to my office and takes the 5th Amendment on every question all questions regarding steroids and then he makes himself available on national television,' Gergel said. 'I see nothing but a dressed-up snake oil salesman with an M.D. after his name.' Shortt said he initially wasn’t aware that the NFL had a ban on steroids and growth hormones, an answer Gergel thought was evasive. Shortt also said he doesn’t prescribe to the theory that anabolic steroids enhance performance. 'Anabolic steroids heal and repair and rebuild,' he told HBO. Shortt’s lawyer, Ward Bradley said his client’s comments sounded consistent with previous public statements. 'It is not illegal to prescribe steroids,' he said, explaining that the law allows it 'when medically necessary.' 'That would be his position on anyone whom he’s treated that it would be medically necessary,' he said. 1 8 - 0 8 - 2 0 0 5 Shortt faces grand jury
By RICK BRUNDRETT Dr. James Shortt was called Wednesday — apparently for the first time — before a federal grand jury investigating allegations he illegally prescribed steroids. But the West Columbia alternative medicine physician spent only about 15 minutes behind closed doors in the federal courthouse in downtown Columbia. He declined to comment when questioned by a reporter. Shortt’s lawyer, Ward Bradley, who didn’t accompany him, declined Wednesday afternoon to say whether his client testified. Bradley also wouldn’t discuss whether his client — if he testified — invoked his right against self-incrimination. Bradley said, though, that Shortt had never previously testified before the grand jury, which began its investigation April 26. Shortt’s medical license was temporarily suspended in April. Grand juries decide whether to issue formal charges. Grand jury hearings, by law, are secret. Richard Gergel, who represents the families of two patients who died under Shortt’s care, said Shortt likely refused to answer any questions before the grand jury. “I would think that is a high probability in the light of the fact he took the 5th Amendment in his deposition with me,” Gergel said Wednesday. Shortt has a constitutional right not to give answers that later could be used against him in a possible criminal case, Gergel said. But Shortt hasn’t been bashful about talking publicly, he said, citing an interview the doctor gave to the HBO sports show “CostasNOW.” In the show, which aired Friday night, Shortt said he treated about 18 NFL players during the past five years, providing about half with anabolic steroids and “most” with injections of human growth hormones. Both steroids and human growth hormones are banned by the league. Shortt, in the program, maintained he did nothing wrong, and that he prescribed steroids to the athletes to heal injuries, not to enhance performance. Former Carolina Panthers defensive lineman John Milem said on the program he was a patient of Shortt’s. Four other former or current Panthers — punter Todd Sauerbrun, center Jeff Mitchell,tackle Todd Steussie and retired guard Kevin Donnalley, previously were linked to Shortt. Current and former Panther players earlier testified about prescriptions Shortt wrote for them during the football season that culminated in the Panthers competing in the 2004 Super Bowl, according to medical records and sources who spoke to The State on condition of anonymity. Bradley on Wednesday pointed out that Shortt has never received a “target letter” from the U.S. Attorney’s Office indicating his client is the focus of an investigation. The office isn’t required to send the letter but has done so in other cases, he said. Shortt apparently wasn’t the only witness called Wednesday. State Sen. David Thomas, R-Greenville, and a woman whom Thomas declined to identify, waited with Shortt on the courthouse’s first floor before Shortt was called downstairs to the grand jury. After Shortt left, the woman walked into the grand jury room, where she spent about 15 minutes before Thomas went in; she and Thomas walked out together about five minutes later. Both declined comment to a reporter before or afterward. Thomas, a lawyer, said he was not representing Shortt and wasn’t accompanying him. Thomas earlier told The State he was Shortt’s patient and believed the doctor’s unconventional, intravenous nutritional and hydrogen peroxide treatments helped his wife and mother, both of whom have multiple sclerosis. 2 2 - 0 9 - 2 0 0 5 Doctor indicted for giving steroids to NFL players
By CLIF LEBLANC COLUMBIA, S.C. - A West Columbia alternative medicine doctor, who prescribed steroids to members of the Carolina Panthers, was indicted Wednesday on nearly 30 counts of violating federal law. A federal grand jury accused Dr. James Shortt of conspiring to dispense two kinds of steroids and a human growth hormone during a 3 1/2-year period. One of Shortt's attorneys, Ward Bradley, said he learned of the indictment Wednesday afternoon from a reporter. "We look forward to the opportunity to defend ourselves," Bradley said. Shortt, 58, has consistently declined interviews with The State newspaper about the allegations. The felony charges were filed one day short of the anniversary of last year's police raid on the physician's Health Dimensions office near Columbia Metropolitan Airport. The office is closed because Shortt's medical license was temporarily suspended April 14. The state medical board cited Shortt over similar steroid allegations, as well as other medical practices. The board has not reached a final determination about his license. Last month, Shortt publicly doubted he would be prosecuted. The indictment alleges Shortt illegally prescribed drugs on 28 occasions between February 2001 and June 2004. All but one of those involved the steroids Stanozolol and Nandrolone. The other count deals with the human growth hormone Somatropin. Another count contains the charge that Shortt intentionally conspired to dispense the drugs. If convicted, he could be sentenced to as many as five years in prison and $250,000 in fines per violation. Federal prosecutions of illegal steroid prescriptions by doctors are rare, said Rick Collins, a New York lawyer who specializes in the field. Collins estimated there have been no more than six since a federal law criminalizing steroids took effect in 1991. The 16-page indictment is silent about the identities of the patients. But they include professional football players, bodybuilders and at least one police officer, sources familiar with the investigation said. Carolina Panthers and amateur bodybuilders have been called to testify in Columbia before the grand jury investigating Shortt since the spring. Until Wednesday, it had not been disclosed that police officers were among Shortt's patients. Myrtle Beach police chief Police Chief Warren Gall acknowledged one of his officers was a Shortt patient. Gall would not name the officer, citing privacy rights, but said the officer remains on the force. Gall said he puts most of the blame on the physician. "Whether the doctor was fraudulent, that's the doctor's issue," Gall said. Federal law allows physicians to prescribe steroids only for medically valid reasons. The law rejects muscle growth or improved physical performance as medically legitimate. The State and other news outlets have reported at least four current or former members of the Carolina Panthers have testified to the grand jury or agreed to tell prosecutors about their ties to Shortt. Linking Panthers to Shortt drew national attention, especially because they filled prescriptions for steroids or human growth hormone during the 2003 football season that took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Both substances are banned by the National Football League. Former Panther Panthers offensive tackle Todd Steussie refilled his prescription for testosterone cream 10 times during an eight-month period in 2004, the television news magazine "60 Minutes Wednesday" has reported. Panthers starting center Jeff Mitchell filled a testosterone prescription seven times, according to pharmaceutical records the program obtained. Former Panther Todd Sauerbrun - one of the top punters in the NFL - received testosterone, the injectable steroid Stanozolol and syringes, "60 Minutes" reported. Former defensive lineman John Milem told HBO he was the first professional football player to become a Shortt patient, and he spread the doctor's name among NFL players. Shortt said that he had about 18 NFL patients and that roughly half took steroids or human growth hormone. Since March, Shortt has said he prescribed steroids to help patients heal, not as performance enhancers. Last month, he told a television interviewer: "I don't think anabolic steroids enhance performance. Anabolic steroids enhance, heal and repair and rebuild." On HBO's "CostasNow," Shortt also said he doubted prosecutors could indict or convict him: "I personally believe in my heart of hearts they're going to have a very difficult time because I haven't done anything wrong." Some of Shortt's patients said Wednesday they wish he were still in practice. LuAnn Theinert said Shortt was compassionate and competent. "I know from experience with him that he would never do anything deliberately to hurt anybody," said Theinert, who contends Shortt was targeted because he offered treatments outside the medical mainstream. Wednesday's charges grow out of a lengthy investigation of Shortt by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The DEA polices pharmaceuticals as well as street drugs. The DEA began looking into Shortt in early 2002 when Columbia bodybuilder Sonny Poyner told agents he received steroids from Shortt him. In a sworn statement, Poyner said the physician had a reputation among bodybuilders for prescribing steroids when paid about $1,000 for medical tests. According to a police account of Poyner's statements, Poyner, who is facing a federal prison sentence on unrelated drug and money laundering charges, told Shortt his goal in becoming a patient was to "get bigger." Within nine months, Poyner put 30 pounds of muscle on his 215-pound frame, police told a judge in making legal arguments to get a search warrant. On Sept. 22, 2004, state and federal agents searched Shortt's office and seized computer data, at least 21 boxes of patient and medical records, and 256 audio cassette tapes, records show. 2 6 - 0 9 - 2 0 0 5 Weight lifters vital to steroids probe
One bodybuilder gave doctor’s name to Carolina Panthers players; 2nd led authorities to him
By CLIF LeBLANC If not for two bodybuilders, Dr. James Shortt perhaps never would have been indicted, as he was last week, on charges of illegally prescribing steroids. A bodybuilder provided the alternative-medicine doctor’s name to John Milem, a former Carolina Panthers defensive end now retired in Charlotte. Milem, then with the San Francisco 49ers, said on national television he took Shortt’s name into the Panthers locker room when he joined the team in 2001. Soon, the West Columbia physician had 18 NFL players as clients, nearly enough to field a football team. The first bodybuilder enriched Shortt’s practice with income from highly paid athletes who made it a bigger target for federal investigators. Another bodybuilder, Sonny Poyner of Columbia, led those investigators to the 58-year-old doctor. Poyner, who was running St. Andrews Fitness Center, said he went to Shortt in 2002 because of the physician’s reputation for prescribing steroids. He said a fellow bodybuilder told him about the doctor. Poyner later would say Shortt’s reputation had a darker side: the physician would write prescriptions for a price, not for medically valid reasons, according to a federal agent’s sworn statement in 2004. Poyner turned Shortt in after the bodybuilder was ensnared in an unrelated cocaine and money-laundering investigation of the gym he ran on Broad River Road. Poyner has pleaded guilty to those charges and faces a long prison term that likely will be reduced because of his cooperation in the Shortt case, his lawyer and federal prosecutors said. Shortt, if convicted, faces a prison term of up to five years and fines as high as $250,000 for each of the steroid counts, and for conspiracy and illegal distribution of human growth hormone charges. Shortt declined to be interviewed for this article, but his attorney said the doctor did not misprescribe the drug. “He did not operate his business as a steroid mill,” attorney Ward Bradley said. “Jim has told me that people that came to him that didn’t have medical needs, he didn’t prescribe them.” The drugs were prescribed to bodybuilders as well as professional football players and a police officer, sources familiar with the investigation said. But the Shortt case has shed light on a silent society of steroids and on a culture of men dedicated to sculpting every sinew and muscle — and the price they are willing to pay for chiseled physiques. THE POWER OF STEROIDS Few weight lifters will admit to taking steroids. But arrests of champion bodybuilders and interviews show it is covert but common practice. “It’s just like a rush you get because you know what it’s going to do for you,” a Midlands bodybuilder said of the first time he injected steroids. “Every week you’re putting more plates on the bar — 20-, 30-pound increases. That’s something people work on all year long, and here you get it in 10 weeks. “A cycle of using steroids is like walking up three steps and one step down. You’re still two steps better,” said the bodybuilder, who said he quit using steroids this year. The bodybuilder said he heard from friends about Shortt’s reputation for writing steroid prescriptions, the only legal way to get the drug. He did not go to Shortt because he would not pay the fee for medical tests. Instead, the bodybuilder turned to the favored marketplace, the Internet. The unnamed Midlands bodybuilder and businessman has competed in muscle contests for several years. He agreed to discuss his illegal use of steroids if his identity was shielded. He is only the second weight lifter willing to discuss Shortt, whose medical license was suspended in April, with The State. Others who were patients would not talk, citing the stigma of steroids use or worries they might run afoul of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Poyner is the only bodybuilder to publicly acknowledge his ties to Shortt. He told a DEA agent he packed on 30 pounds of muscle within nine months after Shortt put him on steroids. Poyner said Shortt prescribed the drug after the bodybuilder paid him about $1,000 for medical tests and told the doctor his goal was just to “get bigger.” Federal law bans steroid prescriptions for anything other than medically necessary treatment. Shortt has said he prescribed steroids to help patients heal and repair. The doctor has said he does not believe steroids enhance performance. ARREST RECORDS Almost half of the nine men who won the state bodybuilding title since 1997 — a designation that means they embody the best physiques in South Carolina — had steroid arrests or convictions, The State has learned. • Mr. S.C. 2003, Kim Williams of Socastee in Horry County, was arrested in June 2004 with 5,000 doses of steroids he bought through the Internet. Williams was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended to 30 days in jail, prosecutors said. Mr. S.C. champions for three consecutive years were charged with steroid use, but not during the years they won titles. • Marion Benton of Columbia, Mr. S.C. 1999, was charged with steroid possession in 2002 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, suspended to 60 days in jail, five years’ probation and fines. Richland County deputies said they found 76 containers of liquid steroids and 227 tablets in his home and business. • Mr. S.C. 1998, Jessie Schwiers, a former Newberry municipal police officer, was charged in 1992 by state police with steroid possession. He left the department within days. There is no public record of the outcome of the case. • Mark Neal was Mr. S.C. 1997. A year later, he was charged in Lexington County with steroid possession. There is no public record of the outcome of the case. Neal’s name cropped up so often during the Shortt investigation that the grand jury expressed interest in hearing from him, said Neal’s attorney, Robert Rikard. But Neal was not called to testify. Neal and the other three former champions declined to be interviewed. They have retained their Mr. S.C. titles. Many contestants at a June statewide bodybuilding championship in Columbia said they heard of Shortt only after he began making headlines last year. Even raising the subject of steroids chased away many weightlifters. “It’s very personal and it’s not talked about,” said Tres Bennett, who runs many S.C. muscle contests and is an official with the state chapter of the sponsoring organization, the National Physique Committee. Stephen Stewart is a Hilton Head Island chef who was among 45 men competing at the most recent Mr. S.C. contest in June at Columbia’s Koger Center. Stewart does not hide that he takes steroids. He acknowledges he could not be competitive without them. There are no rules barring steroids in statewide bodybuilding contests. Organizers say the $150 tests are too expensive. As he waited to pose, Stewart said he buys his steroids through the Internet and used them during contests in 2004 and 2005. “I’d be off the charts right now,” said the 41-year-old, 6-foot-4, 240-pounder of his steroids-driven testosterone readings. He placed third among three competitors in the super heavyweight category. Altogether, 45 men competed. Stewart said those who use steroids are a “small clique, well protected.” He is among six competitors who agreed to be interviewed in June. Those who spoke ranged from a USC student to a father of six. Two said they had never tried steroids. Another contestant who acknowledged steroid use is an example of a greater benefit from the drug. Eric Jones, 37, realized three years ago he had a low testosterone count. “I started feeling old,” said the 6-foot-1, 210-pound maintenance supervisor at an Upstate plant. His physician put him on hormone therapy, and Jones gained nearly 15 pounds of muscle. “I’m better than I was 10 years ago,” said Jones, who estimated that half the competitors use steroids. But the drug had a more important outcome for Jones. “If I hadn’t been to the doctor and put on hormone therapy, I would never have had a child.” His son is 2. Jones would like amateur bodybuilding to take a formal stand against steroid abuse. “I really don’t think they should ban it,” Jones said. “But they should draw lines and set some (testosterone) levels. “That would get (contestants) off the Internet, off the black market and back to doctors.” Natural bodybuilders shun steroids and rely on proper eating and training, said former competitor and personal trainer Ron Emmons of Columbia. Typically, Emmons’ daily food intake includes 20 egg whites (toss the yokes), four grilled chicken sandwiches or a burger, a tuna sandwich at night and about a gallon of water throughout the day. Protein shakes or bars can supplement real food, he said. Emmons, 45, has won five bodybuilding titles, including Natural Mr. America in 1988. He started competing in the 1970s while in the Army overseas. 1 3 - 1 0 - 2 0 0 5 Physician pleads not guilty
By CLIF LeBLANC The suspended West Columbia doctor charged last month with writing illegal steroid prescriptions for professional football players pleaded not guilty Wednesday in a Columbia federal courtroom. Dr. James Shortt, 59, was allowed to remain free as long as he meets conditions set by the court. The alternative-medicine physician’s patients included current and former Carolina Panthers, bodybuilders and police, sources familiar with the investigation have said. Shortt answered U.S. Magistrate Judge Bristow Marchant’s routine questions with simple, brief responses. He agreed to submit to random drug testing and show up for court whenever summoned. Shortt would not comment after the 10-minute hearing at the Perry courthouse. Shortt’s lawyer, federal public defender Allen Burnside, also said Shortt is living in California and has a job that requires travel. Burnside did not elaborate in court about Shortt’s new job and declined to comment afterward. Judges generally limit the travel of defendants who are free on bond. Marchant decided Shortt could travel as needed after federal prosecutors did not object. A check Wednesday with the California medical board found Shortt is not licensed to practice medicine in that state. His S.C. license was suspended temporarily in April after eight years. That Shortt, who once had a thriving medical practice, was represented by a public defender indicates he cannot afford a private criminal attorney. To qualify for a court-appointed lawyer, defendants must submit a sworn financial statement and be found indigent. By court order, Shortt was provided a public defender Aug. 18. Neither Burnside nor Ward Bradley of Columbia, who represents Shortt in disputes with the S.C. medical board and often speaks on his behalf, would comment Wednesday. But Shortt’s having a court-appointed lawyer struck the Columbia attorney who has sued the physician as ironic. “He has had sufficient resources to retain private counsel to defend a lawsuit involving medical negligence,” Richard Gergel said. Gergel represents the family of Katherine Bibeau in a malpractice lawsuit. Bibeau, a 53-year-old Minnesota medical technician, died March 14, 2004, days after Shortt treated her multiple sclerosis with a hydrogen peroxide infusion. Shortt was indicted Sept. 21 by a federal grand jury on 28 counts of illegally prescribing generic testosterone, anabolic steroids or human growth hormone. He also is charged with one count of conspiring to dispense the drugs for illegitimate medical purposes. If convicted, Shortt faces a maximum of five years in prison and fines up to $250,000 per violation. 0 3 - 1 2 - 2 0 0 5 Doctor's tapes played at trial
Whittier Daily News COLUMBIA, S.C. - Taped consultations with three current and former Carolina Panthers reveal Dr. James Shortt advising the players how to use performance-enhancing drugs without failing NFL drug tests.
"You came to see me ... wanting some performance enhancement," Shortt said in a June 24, 2003, tape-recorded conversation with Todd Sauerbrun. "We can do that - legal performance enhancement because you're drug tested in your profession." Judge Joe Anderson heard excerpts from the audiotapes Thursday during a hearing in the federal steroid case against Shortt. The 59-year-old former West Columbia alternative- medicine doctor was indicted in September and again in November on charges of illegally prescribing steroids to professional football players, bodybuilders and police in September and again in November. He met individually with Sauerbrun, Wesley Walls and Jeff Mitchell in 2003. In a Feb. 18, 2003, taped meeting with Walls, Shortt gave him this advice: "Now here's the key. You want to use a natural testosterone. You do not want to use testosterone or any kind of Depo (testosterone injection) because that's how they test you. They look for the Depo." "For somebody like you, I can triple your testosterone levels without blowing any whistles. If you use fake anabolics - Deca durabolin, Winstrol, you know, Anadrol - if you start using those, those little ratios they test will skew. If you use a natural testosterone, your ratios always come out right." Walls now is retired and lives in Charlotte. The three tapes and 16 others were seized under a search warrant for Shortt's office. The doctor taped his consultations and gave copies to his patients. "It was a nice find," Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday said. He declined to say whether if the 16 other tapes involved NFL players. 1 4 - 0 2 - 2 0 0 6 Shortt agrees to plead guilty under deal with prosecutors
RICK BRUNDRETT A former West Columbia doctor charged with illegally prescribing steroids to NFL football players could face up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine under a plea deal reached Monday. James Shortt, 59, agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss 42 counts of distributing the drugs. The six-page agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in Columbia, does not specify a sentence for the alternative-medicine physician. That will be determined by U.S. District Judge Joe Anderson, if he accepts the deal. A court hearing has not been scheduled. Sentencing wouldn’t occur until at least 90 days later.“It would be highly unusual not to have some active sentence,” said Jack Swerling, a longtime Columbia criminal defense lawyer who is not connected to the case but is experienced in federal court cases. Swerling said the sentence could include prison time, house arrest or detention in a halfway house, or any combination of the three. Under federal sentencing guidelines, which are advisory, Anderson can consider the dismissed charges, though he cannot go beyond the maximum sentence for the conspiracy charge, Swerling said. Each of the dismissed counts carries the same maximum sentence as the conspiracy charge. Efforts to reach Shortt, who is living in California, were unsuccessful. Allen Burnside, his federal public defender, declined to comment. Nancy Wicker, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Columbia, also declined to discuss the case, though she said judges accept the “vast majority” of plea agreements. In court papers filed in January, prosecutors said Shortt dispensed anabolic steroids and human growth hormones to professional athletes, amateur bodybuilders, law enforcement officers and others. Indictments issued in September and November alleged Shortt distributed the drugs from Jan. 16, 2001, to June 1, 2004. The conspiracy charge he agreed to plead guilty to covered a longer period, from December 1998 to Sept. 21, 2005. Prosecutors have not identified any of Shortt’s patients in indictments. However, at least four current or former members of the Carolina Panthers testified before a federal grand jury or agreed to tell prosecutors about their ties to Shortt, The State and other news outlets have reported. Former tight end Wesley Walls, former punter Todd Sauerbrun, former offensive tackle Todd Steussie, former defensive lineman John Milem, retired guard Kevin Donnalley and current center Jeff Mitchell have been linked to Shortt’s case. In an August 2005 interview on HBO’s “CostasNow” program, Shortt said he treated about 18 National Football League players, providing about half with anabolic steroids and most with human growth hormones. Shortt said he gave the drugs to repair injuries, not to enhance performance. Columbia attorney Richard Gergel, who represents the families of two patients who died under Shortt’s care, said Monday the plea agreement is “wholly consistent with what we have been saying from the beginning.” “His practice was predatory, and he took advantage of people who were desperate,” Gergel said. Gergel said he expects Shortt’s S.C. medical license, which has been under temporary suspension since April, to be revoked because of the plea agreement. No criminal charges have been filed in the cases involving the two patients who died. But the 2004 death of Katherine Bibeau, 53, who received intravenous hydrogen peroxide treatments for her multiple sclerosis, was ruled a homicide by Richland County Coroner Gary Watts. 0 7 - 0 3 - 2 0 0 6 Shortt pleads guilty in steroids case
BY CHARLES CHANDLER COLUMBIA, S.C. - After almost a year of vigorously declaring his innocence in a federal steroids case involving Carolina Panthers players, Dr. James Shortt pleaded and was declared guilty Monday of conspiring to illegally distribute anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. "I wrote prescriptions and shipped growth hormone to those who wanted to use them for weight gain and performance enhancement," Shortt told U.S. District Court Judge Joe Anderson in a hearing. "I know now that is federally illegal and I'm sorry." When assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday reminded Anderson and Shortt that the charges were for steroids and not just human growth hormone (HGH), Shortt quickly amended his statement, saying: "They were anabolic steroids and growth hormone." Shortt, 59, originally pleaded not guilty to 43 counts in a grand jury indictment last year. The case became public in March 2005 and since has gained national attention and brought scrutiny to Shortt, the Panthers and the NFL. Last year, Shortt told the Charlotte Observer and other media outlets he had not violated the law and treated Panthers players for healing, recovery and repair, but not performance enhancement. Last month, he reached an agreement to change his plea to guilty on one of the 43 counts. The purpose of Monday's hearing was for Shortt to change his plea to guilty to the first and most far-reaching count against him. The other 42 counts were dropped as part of his plea agreement. The hearing lasted little more than an hour. No Panthers officials attended, but the team's NFL security liaison, former FBI special agent Brendan Battle, was there to prepare a report for the league. Shortt and his attorney declined comment after the hearing. Sentencing by Anderson could take three or four months. Shortt faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 and two years of supervised release. Shortt didn't dispute anything Holliday said in presenting the government's case. Holliday said Shortt repeatedly prescribed testosterone to patients whose test results revealed their levels far exceeded normal and that some patients suffered negative side effects common to excessive steroid use, such as hair loss and testicular shrinkage. Asked specifically by Anderson if he disagreed with anything Holliday alleged, Shortt said: "No, your honor." Evidence provided by prosecutors Monday included patient records with "performance enhancement" written as the cause for care. Prosecutors also played audiotape recordings of consultations Shortt had with current Panthers center Jeff Mitchell and two former players, tight end Wesley Walls and punter Todd Sauerbrun, about performance enhancement. An April 2003 handwritten note from Shortt to a patient identified as a pro football player included the doctor telling the player how to mix HGH. Shortt added: "I have enclosed needles and syringes." Anderson said the "essence of the charges" against Shortt was conspiracy, which the judge defined as "a partnership in crime." Shortt and prosecutors differed when the judge asked them to identify the doctor's co-conspirators." Patients," said Shortt. The conspiring partners cited by Holliday included at least three former employees of Shortt, a bodybuilder and former Panthers player John Milem. Holliday said Milem told Carolina teammates about Shortt, leading some of them to visit the doctor. Milem said on HBO last year that he was the first Carolina player to visit the doctor. Prosecutors referenced an expert report on Shortt's patients' records prepared by Dr. Gary Wadler of the World Anti-Doping Agency. "There is a pattern of behavior on the part of Dr. James M. Shortt to prescribe anabolic steroids and human growth hormone to patients in the absence of legitimate disease or other recognized medical condition." Wadler evaluated records for 14 patients of Short, including six identified as pro football players. Reggie Lloyd, the U.S. attorney for South Carolina, praised the Panthers for their cooperation in the case. "My opinion is that should be a model of how to follow a procedure like this in the future," said Lloyd. "They deserve that recognition." Also present was Janet Bate, whose husband died while under Shortt's care. She filed a civil suit against the doctor. "We wanted to be sure this man here never touched another patient," said Bate. "I really think he is a disgrace to his Hippocratic oath and to the whole medical profession. This is the first stage. Now we'll move on to the civil cases." Shortt's license to practice medicine in South Carolina was suspended by the state medical board. This week, he was stripped of his rights to practice medicine in Wisconsin, where he was also licensed. 0 9 - 0 3 - 2 0 0 6 Report: Teen boy a patient of Shortt
Mar. 09, 2006 A 15-year-old boy was one of the patients whose treatment by Dr. James Shortt drew the scrutiny of prosecutors in their federal steroids case against the former West Columbia physician. According to a report prepared by New York University internal and sports medicine specialist Dr. Gary Wadler for the U.S. Attorney's Office, which prosecuted Shortt, the doctor had "no legitimate medical basis" for prescribing testosterone, an anabolic steroid, to the boy in 2002. "I am concerned because it is particularly egregious to use a position of trust to render potential harm to a young boy like that," Wadler told the Observer. "That's an ethical issue and an increasingly legal issue." The identity of the boy and his medical status were not known. His name was blacked out of copies of Wadler's report that were made public. Shortt, 59, pleaded and was declared guilty Monday of conspiring to distribute anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. His patients included Carolina Panthers players whom prosecutors showed he treated for performance enhancement. Wadler, a World Anti-Doping Agency adviser, said there was no evidence in the boy's records that Shortt prescribed the testosterone to enhance athletic performance. However, Wadler's report said Shortt's diagnosis that the boy experienced delayed puberty "seems inconceivable" and was essentially ruled out by the boy's 5-foot-10 height. Wadler's report said the boy, who is now 18, first visited Shortt in May 2002 complaining of fatigue, allergies and a lack of concentration. Federal prosecutors asked Wadler to examine medical records of the boy and 13 adult patients of Shortt, including six pro football players, as they prepared their case against the doctor. Shortt's attorney, Allen Burnside of Columbia, said he could not comment until after the doctor's sentencing. Use of steroids for nonmedical reasons by teenagers is a widespread national concern and has been discussed in recent months by Congressional panels. Steroid abuse in adolescents can halt bone growth and has been associated with damage to the heart, kidneys and liver. "There are serious consequences and I think parents need to be aware of that," said Wadler. 2 5 - 0 5 - 2 0 0 6 Doctor Who Gave Panthers Steroids Barred
AP Columbia, S.C. -- The doctor who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to provide steroids to several Carolina Panthers had his medical license revoked by the state board of medical examiners in a decision released Wednesday. The board said state law allows it to revoke a medical license when a doctor pleads guilty to a felony. In March, Dr. James Shortt pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop 42 similar counts against Shortt. Shortt is awaiting sentencing. He faces up to five years in prison, two years of probation and a $250,000 fine. Shortt, who now lives in California, remains free on bond. Prosecutors have said current and former members of the Carolina Panthers were some of Shortt's patients. After pleading guilty, Shortt said he wrote prescriptions and gave human growth hormone to people who wanted to gain weight or muscle. Shortt also faces a state criminal investigation in the death of a woman who died three days after receiving intravenous hydrogen peroxide to help her multiple sclerosis. 1 8 - 0 7 - 2 0 0 6 Steroid doctor jailed
Allegedly supplied Panthers' players with drugs
AP COLUMBIA, S.C. - The doctor who pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally prescribe steroids to several Carolina Panthers was sentenced Monday to one year and one day in prison.
Dr. James Shortt pleaded guilty in March to one federal count of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. Prosecutors have said current and former members of the Carolina Panthers were some of Shortt's patients. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped 42 other counts against Shortt. Chief U.S. District Judge Joe Anderson ordered Shortt to pay the minimum fine, $500 US, and a $100 special assessment. He also will serve two years on supervised release. The maximum sentence for the charge was five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Shortt also faces a state criminal investigation in the 2004 death of a Minnesota woman who died three days after receiving intravenous hydrogen peroxide to help her multiple sclerosis. The South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners revoked Shortt's medical license in May. Anderson delayed the date on which Shortt must report for prison until the conclusion of any possible appeals, which Anderson said were "almost certain." That could mean Shortt won't begin serving his sentence until 2008, the judge said, estimating the appeals process could take a year and a half. Shortt has 10 days to appeal his conviction and sentence. His lawyer, federal public defender Allen Burnside, wouldn't comment Monday. Anderson said he would recommend that the 59-year-old Shortt serve his time at the prison closest to his family. The additional day tacked on to the one-year sentence means Shortt will be eligible to earn credits for good behaviour, which could reduce his time served to less than 11 months, Anderson said. Shortt acknowledged he "went beyond the boundaries that I should" in writing the prescriptions for testosterone and human growth hormone to professional athletes. "My intention was to help them reach their goals," he said. Shortt also said he had no intention of applying for a medical license in California, where he now lives. "I have accepted the fact that my career is over," Shortt said. "I certainly have no intention of ever doing it again." |
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