Lance Armstrong Under Federal Investigation For Doping Charges

Lance Armstrong is under federal investigation again on charges related to doping. This is not the first time the disgraced former Tour de France champion has been the subject of a criminal probe.

US Attorney for Southern California Andre Birotte and his office investigated Armstrong for crimes that included reported drug distribution, fraud, and conspiracy.

The revelation is in contrast to Birotte, who dropped the case suddenly in February of 2012, reports ABC News. At the time, agents recommended an indictment against Armstrong and they were not sure why the case was dropped so suddenly.

A high level source stated on Wednesday that “Birotte does not speak for the federal government as a whole.” The official added:

“Agents are actively investigating Armstrong for obstruction, witness tampering and intimidation.”

Along with the federal investigation, Lance Armstrong also faces a deadline on Wednesday to cooperate with the US Anti-Doping Agency. The former cyclist hopes to have his lifetime ban from competition reduced, notes ESPN.

The previous investigation saw testimony from Armstrong’s former teammates and associates. It started with a separate investigation of cycling team Rock Racing. The investigation looked at whether a doping program was established for Armstrong’s team while it received government sponsorship from the USPS.

When speaking about the former federal investigation of Lance Armstrong on Tuesday, Birotte stated:

“Obviously we’ve been well-aware of the statements that have been made by Mr. Armstrong and other media reports. That has not changed my view at this time. Obviously, we’ll consider, we’ll continue to look at the situation, but that hasn’t changed our view as I stand here today.”

The newest investigation on Lance Armstrong is reportedly being run out of another office and Birotte was not informed about it.

[Image by de:Benutzer:Hase (Self-photographed) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons]