In Virginia last week Ben W. Hunter, 42, now of Phoenix, Ariz., was found not guilty on all but two of 32 charges which included 13 counts of distributing steroids and 13 counts of distributing drugs to a minor. The former wrestling coach had also been charged with selling drugs on or near school property, distributing drugs and abuse and neglect of a child. Dr. James Shipe, a researcher in athletic drug testing at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine, was called as a drug abuse expert witness in the case.
“Traditionally, testing originated for Olympic athletes,” the expert witness explained after the case. “All tests were developed using a witnessed urine test as the specimen” because, he added, some athletes from various countries had religious or moral protests to drawing blood samples.
Hunter faces sentencing for one felony count of failure to appear and one misdemeanor county of failure to appear on October 30 in Lancaster County Circuit Court. His attorney, James Broccoletti of Norfolk, requested a pre-sentencing report be prepared for the hearing.
Excerpted from NorthernNeckNews.com.