Barry Bonds' friend is key witness against him

[Walter Cronkite]

One of Barry Bonds' longtime friends is a key witness against him as the federal government ponders perjury or tax-evasion charges against the San Francisco Giants slugger, Bonds' lawyer told The New York Times.

Michael Rains, Bonds' lawyer, said memorabilia salesman Steve Hoskins, a longtime friend of Bonds and Kimberly Bell, Bonds' former girlfriend who has twice testified against him before a grand jury, are the government's two main witnesses.

The New York Daily News reported Tuesday that Major League Baseball officials expect Bonds to be indicted on perjury and tax evasion charges.

Though the officials told the Daily News they have no inside knowledge of the grand jury's proceedings, they said they expect an indictment as early as next week, as the grand jury that has been hearing evidence against Bonds in San Francisco is due to expire in the next few weeks.

Baseball sources also told the Daily News they conducted their own investigation into Bonds last year and found evidence of wrongdoing.

Hoskins and Bonds sold Bonds' sports equipment and collectible lithographs through Hoskins' company.

Rains told The Times that Bonds went to the federal government in June 2002 to complain that Hoskins was forging his name and stealing from him. The government then "turned around and used" Hoskins as an informant, Rains told the newspaper.

Hoskins' attorney, Michael Cardoza, disputed Rains' assertion to The Times, however.

"We made no deal with the feds," Cardoza told The Times. "We cut no deal with anybody. All we did was tell the truth and protect Steve and prove to them that Barry is not a truth-teller." Cardoza wouldn't tell The Times whether his client was called to testify before the grand jury investigating Bonds.

Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, was held in contempt of court last week and taken to prison for refusing to testify to the grand jury. Anderson served three months in prison last year after pleading guilty for his role in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative steroid scandal.

Source: ESPN.com

[Walter Cronkite]

Report: Ex-friend told feds Bonds used steroids

Barry Bonds' former best friend and business associate told investigators that the San Francisco Giants slugger used steroids and suffered "roid rages," his lawyer told The New York Times.

Steve Hoskins also told investigators that Bonds gave him thousands of dollars to give to two of Bonds' girlfriends, Michael Cordoza, Hoskins' lawyer, told the newspaper.

Cordoza told The Times that Hoskins spoke to investigators, but would not say if he has testified before the grand jury investigating Bonds for perjury and tax evastion. The grand jury is meeting Thursday and again next week. After that, the grand jury's term expires.

The New York Daily News reported Tuesday that Major League Baseball officials, who have no inside knowledge of the grand jury proceedings, expect Bonds to be indicted on perjury and tax evasion charges. Bonds reportedly testified before a grand jury in 2003 that he did not knowingly use steroids.

Cardoza told The Times that Bonds' steroid use and "roid rages" led to the end of Hoskins' friendship with the slugger.

"Stevie would nag Barry to get off the stuff," Cardoza told the newspaper. "Their relationship finally went in the toilet, business and personal. And with that, Barry is saying Stevie stole from me. It's not true. He reports that to the feds. The feds do a full-blown investigation."

Hoskins, who was Bonds' best man at his wedding in 1998, and Bonds sold the outfielder's sports equipment and collectible lithographs through Hoskins' company.

Michael Rains, Bonds' lawyer, told The Times that Bonds went to the federal government in June 2002 to complain that Hoskins was forging his name and stealing from him. The government then "turned around and used" Hoskins as an informant, Rains told the newspaper.

Rains told The Times that Hoskins and Kimberly Bell, Bonds' former girlfriend who has twice testified against him before a grand jury, are the government's two main witnesses.

"We made no deal with the feds," Cardoza told The Times. "We cut no deal with anybody. All we did was tell the truth and protect Steve and prove to them that Barry is not a truth-teller."

Laura Enos, Bonds' attorney for business matters, told The Times that Hoskins threatened her client after Bonds confronted Hoskins in June 2003 over the alleged forging of Bonds' signature on contracts.

"He came and we met in a conference room," Enos told The Times. "He said: 'I have three doors. If you don't drop this memorabilia issue, I'm going to ruin Barry. Behind door No. 1 is an extramarital affair. Behind door No. 2 is failure to declare income tax. And behind door No. 3 is use of steroids. And I will go to the press and ruin Barry. His records will be ruined. He will never get into the Hall of Fame."

Source: ESPN.com