Former track star, Marion Jones has turned herself in today to begin her 6month stint in Federal Prison. Her sentence was a result of committing perjury by lying about her enhanced drug use (steroids) and check-fraud.
She had until Tuesday to turn herself in. I don't blame her-get it over with. In addition to the 6 mos sentence she also has to do "400 hours of community service in each of the two years following her release." (source)
MARION JONES APPEARS VIA SATELLITE ON 'OPRAH ':Track star explains why she lied about steroid use.
*Marion Jones appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" Wednesday in her first interview since admitting that she lied about using performance-enhancing drugs throughout her career in track-and-field.
"I want people to understand that, you know, everybody makes mistakes. ... I truly think that a person's character is determined by their admission of their mistakes and then beyond that, what do I do about it?" Jones said via satellite from Austin, Texas, where she lives. "How can I change the lives of people? How can I use my story to change the life of a young person?"
Winfrey asked Jones what she was thinking during her repeated, impassioned denials that took place over the years. "You knew at that time, you knew were lying, right?" Winfrey said.
"I made a mistake. I made the choice, at that time, to protect myself, to protect my family," Jones said. "And now I've paid the consequences dearly."
Jones said she has yet to tell her 4-year-old son, the elder of her two boys, that Mommy's going to jail. She admitted she was disappointed that she was not given a probation-only sentence, as she and her attorneys hoped for.
"I put myself in a position to have somebody else determine my immediate future," she said. "I made that decision. I have to live with it, my family has to live with it. With the grace of God we'll get through it and come out even better at the other end."
Jones has until March 11 to begin her six month jail sentence for lying to investigators about steroid use and a check-fraud scam. source *** I hate that Marion went out like that. IMO she truly played herself, but I do give it up to her for confessing. Having said that, while I hate seeing her go to jail, she did break the law. And I'm a firm believer in, "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time." Sadness. And she hasn't told her oldest child yet. She better get a move on, cuz u know bays-bays all over the country are eavesdroppin on their mama's phone and kitchen conversations, and it'll only take a minute for one of those mannish kids to break Marion's kids heart in a manner similar to this: bay-bay: You wanna go and see the the new Disney movie? M.K. (Marion's kid): what Disney movie? bay-bay: you knoowwww, the one where the pillows come to life when u turn off the lights and you can play pillow fight all night long. M.K.: oh. I havta ask my mom. bay-bay: why you gotta ask your mom if you can go to the movies? M.K.: cuz my mommy said if I need something from her to just ask. bay-bay: well tell her you're going to need her freedom for 6 mos, since she won't be needin it. (looking confused) bay-bay: why you lookin like u don't know yo' mama doin' 6 mo flat? M.K.: flat? flat what? bay-bay: (long sigh) you are not THAT stupid! My mama, told my aunt Tameka, who told the twins' Cheyenn and Cheyenna's mother's boyfriend's sister's pastor that your mama is in jail for 6 mos. Everybody knows yo' mama's in jail. M.K.: shut up! take it back! bay-bay: please, i ain't takin nothin' back! M.K. oh yes you are! bay-bay: no i ain't. who and what army is gone make me...??
***u see where this can lead to*** Marion, just keep it real. Tell the kids the truth. I'm sure they'll get street cred, now :)
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Policewoman's husband to stay in jail for now 'T.C.' Crane charged with paying girls for sex; APD knew of allegations since 2000 source cnn's story
A federal judge ordered the husband of an Atlanta police officer to remain in jail on charges he paid and photographed young girls engaged in sex acts.
The earliest Terrill "T.C." Marion Crane, 47, could be released on bond is Wednesday, when a detention and preliminary hearing is scheduled.
On Friday, U.S. Magistrate Clayton E. Scofield III denied Crane's request to be released on bond, said Don Samuel, Crane's attorney.
Crane, dressed in a tie-dyed T-shirt and dirty blue jeans, sat quietly during the six-minute hearing.
Meanwhile, federal authorities said they are still investigating Crane and his wife, Sgt. Tanya C. Crane. She was suspended with pay because officials believe she burned photographs and negatives of her husband with the girls.
Federal authorities said they have identified four of at least 13 victims.
"We are interested in finding out if there are any other child victims out there," U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias said after Crane's hearing. "Anybody who did that [engaged in sexual acts with Crane] did not break any laws. They didn't do anything wrong."
Nahmias declined to answer questions about why it took Atlanta authorities seven years to investigate Crane or if the lapse allowed for more victims.
Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington said in a statement Thursday that he learned of the photographs last month and promised that "people will be held accountable and responsible for their actions or inactions as the case may be."
According to a federal affidavit, a photo technician alerted Atlanta police in 2000 after Crane dropped off sexually explicit film of minors.
The photographs show girls between the ages of 12 and 15 engaged in sexual acts in or near Crane's pickup truck and in a bathtub, according to the affidavit.
However, Atlanta police did not turn the photographs over to federal investigators until last month, according to the affidavit.
The officers who saw the photographs seven years ago "probably thought they were just dirty pictures," said Samuel, Crane's attorney. He declined to comment further.
Authorities say Crane began meeting girls in 1999 and was soliciting them as recently as June or July.
*** How a woman who's paid to protect and serve the public, could even show her face after finding out her hubby's a pedo, continue to LIVE with him AND not report him is beyond my comprehension. Sgt. Crane and the Atlanta PD, had the power to nip this in the bud years and didn't. I've heard that love is blind-but lady give me a break. While you're slaving away risking your life, that bootleg husband of yours was paying little girls (with YOUR MONEY I BET!) to have sex and taking pics. The man had a collection of pics...how did he have time to work? he was too busy working YOU! You'z a good one, Sarge. That rascal would've been cut 3 ways to Sunday...you betta recognize! Now he's got females turned out and gawd knows what else. When a person is molested, they usually become promiscuous. Like we need more little heffas running around here showin' their tail. I hope the judge throw the book at both of you. You're just as guilty. In my eyes you're an accessory. Y'all are nasty!
Marion Jones Returns Five Medals from Sydney Games Date: Monday, October 08, 2007 credit: blackamericaweb.com
(AP) Her reputation is gone and now so are Marion Jones' Olympic medals. Jones gave back the five medals she won at the Sydney Olympics on Monday and agreed to forfeit all other results dating back to Sept. 1, 2000, further punishment for her admission that she was a drug cheat.
The three gold medals and two bronzes were turned over by her attorneys in Austin, Texas. They are en route to U.S. Olympic Committee headquarters in Colorado Springs, and the USOC will return them to the International Olympic Committee.
"We've done what we can," said Jim Scherr, the USOC's chief executive officer. "We caught the person who was not clean. We've got the medals in our possession, and we will return them to IOC."
Fielding a clean team is a priority for a country trying to improve its image in the Olympic movement -- not to mention win the 2016 Games -- and USOC chairman Peter Ueberroth pledged Monday that the U.S. team at next summer's Beijing Olympics will be drug-free.
But when American stars like Jones or Athens gold medalist Justin Gatlin get busted, it doesn't help the cause. Gatlin is facing a ban of up to eight years after testing positive for testosterone and other steroids in April 2006 -- one month before tying the then 100-meter world record.
"Even though it is a negative going back, this will be viewed as positive in our commitment to fielding a clean team," Scherr said of Jones' punishment
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I hate to see Marion have to go through this, but she'll be fine.
I guess she just wants to get it over with...no use in puttin off the inevitable.
She stepped up to the plate, better than the men I've seen!
Jones Quits Track Over Steroid Case credits: AOL Sports- (edited for content by Ivent)
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Oct. 5) - Marion Jones' voice never wavered, her reserve never faltered as the words rang out in the silent, stately federal courtroom. (marion jones and mother to the courtroom)
She was a liar and a cheat, she told the judge, her eyes never straying from his face. And so ended years of angry denials by one of the world's most celebrated athletes.
The owner of three Olympic golds and two bronze medals, Jones came clean Friday and admitted she used steroids. She pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators when she denied using performance-enhancing drugs, then announced her retirement in a tearful apology outside the U.S. District Court.
"It's with a great amount of shame that I stand before you and tell you that I have betrayed your trust," Jones said, her voice cracking as her mother stood behind her, a strong and supportive hand on her shoulder."I have been dishonest and you have the right to be angry with me. I have let (my family) down. I have let my country down, and I have let myself down," she said, pausing frequently to regain her composure. "I recognize that by saying I'm deeply sorry, it might not be enough and sufficient to address the pain and hurt that I've caused you."Therefore, I want to ask for your forgiveness for my actions, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."The calm strength she'd displayed in the courtroom was gone, washed away by a flood of tears. She embraced her mother, who told her daughter, "Good job."
The two then climbed into a black limousine with one of Jones' attorneys and drove away, not taking any questions.Jones was released on her own recognizance and was due back in court Jan. 11 for sentencing."It's bittersweet," said Travis Tygart, chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. " Any time a potential American hero admits to cheating us sports fans, people who watch Olympic games, it's bittersweet."Indeed, Friday marked a stunning fall from grace for the 31-year-old Jones, once the symbol for everything that was right about women in sports. She was powerful, captivating the country with the audacious goal of winning an unprecedented five gold medals at the Sydney Olympics. But she was beautiful and feminine, too, gracing the cover of Vogue with the poise of a supermodel. Marion Jones isn't the only track and field athlete embroiled in controversy over performance-enhancing drugs.
Though she fell short in Sydney — only three of her five medals were gold, the other two bronze — her winsome smile and charming personality made her a star.
Seven years later, she is broke, her reputation is ruined and she is looking at prison time.Jones also pleaded guilty to a second count of lying to investigators about her association with a check-fraud scheme."You're vindicated, but it doesn't make you feel any happier this is going on," said Dick Pound, chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency. "The fact that she was using the performance-enhancing drugs is not a surprise. People suspected strongly or knew, but couldn't prove the use."When something seems too good to be true, it probably is." Jones is the biggest name to be brought down so far in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative scandal. But home run king Barry Bonds also has been linked to BALCO, and a grand jury is still investigating whether he lied to federal investigators.Bonds denied ever knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs.
In testimony before a grand jury in 2003, Bonds said he believed a clear substance and a cream given to him by his trainer were flaxseed oil and an arthritis balm."The federal government will vigorously prosecute individuals who provide false statements to its agents," said Scott N. Schools, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California.
Suspicions and doping allegations had dogged Jones for years. Her ex-husband, C.J. Hunter, was busted for doping, and Tim Montgomery, the father of her son Monty, was stripped of his world record in the 100 meters in connection with the BALCO case.Jones herself was one of the athletes who testified before a grand jury in 2003 in the BALCO investigation. In August 2006, one of her urine samples tested positive for EPO, but she was cleared when a backup sample tested negative.But Jones vehemently denied all doping allegations, even issuing this emphatic declaration in 2004: "I have never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs."
She also sued BALCO founder Victor Conte after he repeatedly accused Jones of using performance-enhancing drugs and said he watched her inject herself.That anger and defiance was nowhere to be seen Friday.Even Conte had sympathy for Jones."I don't feel any sense of vindication," he said. "All of us have made poor decisions in our lives and suffered the consequences."Flanked by her attorneys and with her mother a few feet away, Jones sat perfectly straight as she acknowledged her crimes. Speaking into a microphone, her voice was crystal clear when she admitted lying to a federal investigator in November 2003 when he asked if she had used performance-enhancing drugs."I answered that I had not. This was a lie, your honor," she said.
Jones said she took steroids from September 2000 to July 2001 and said she was told by her then-coach Trevor Graham that she was taking flaxseed oil when it was actually "the clear." That's a performance-enhancing drug linked to BALCO, the lab at the center of the steroids scandal in professional sports.
"I consumed this substance several times before the Sydney Olympics and continued using it after," Jones told the judge. "By November 2003, I realized he was giving me performance-enhancing drugs."She said she "felt different, trained more intensely" and experienced "faster recovery and better times" while using the substance.
"He told me to put it under my tongue for a few seconds and swallow it," she said. "He told me not to tell anyone."A Sept. 3, 2003, search warrant at BALCO uncovered ledgers, purchases, doping calendars, and various blood-test results connected to Jones and Graham, said Matt Parrella, a federal prosecutor in Northern California.
In the check-fraud scheme, Jones admitted lying about her knowledge of the involvement of Montgomery in a scheme to cash millions of dollars worth of stolen or forged checks. Montgomery; Jones' longtime agent Charles Wells; and a former coach, Olympian Steve Riddick, have all been convicted in the scam."This is a sad day for sport. The only good that can be drawn from today's revelations is that her decision to finally admit the truth will play we hope, a key part in breaking the back of the BALCO affair," IOC president Jacques Rogge said.
Prosecutors have suggested to Jones that the prison term will be a maximum of six months, although the judge has the discretion to change that. The maximum sentence on each count is five years and a $250,000 fine, for a total of 10 years and $500,000.
In addition to losing her freedom, she is almost certain to lose her medals, too.The International Olympic Committee opened an investigation into doping allegations against Jones in December 2004, and said Friday it will step up its probe and move quickly to strip her of her medals."Her admission is long overdue and underscores the shame and dishonor that are inherent with cheating," U.S. Olympic Committee chairman Peter Ueberroth said in a statement.
"As further recognition of her complicity in this matter, Ms. Jones should immediately step forward and return the Olympic medals she won while competing in violation of the rules."In Jones' case, that would include the 2000 Olympics, where she won gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 1,600-meter relay and bronze in the long jump and 400-meter relay.
"I am responsible fully for my actions. I have no one to blame but myself for what I've done," she said. "Making the wrong choices and bad decisions can be disastrous." AP Sports Writers Stephen Wilson in London, Dave Skretta in White Plains, N.Y., Bob Baum in Phoenix and Joedy McCreary in Raleigh, N.C., and Associated Press Writers Pat Milton in White Plains, N.Y., and Paul Elias in San Francisco also contributed to this report. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
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What Marion did was very uncool, but I have to give her credit for the press conference she gave after her testimony. Very "grace under fire." I believe in the power of confession-to God Almight first, and then others. Once you know God's forgiveness is upon you, and He's on your side you're prepared to endure the fallout. Upon watching Marion's press conference, I was very surprised to find myself sniffing, and tears welling in my eyes. Still she should relinquish the medals since she had "assistance" in order to win.
I believe she's sincere (this time). What a price she's going to pay. God bless her.
MARION JONES ADMITS TO STEROID USE: Former track star said she took 'the clear' for two years thinking it was flaxseed oil. (October 5, 2007) (source story, image: eurweb.com) The five medals won by Marion Jones in Sydney may be in jeopardy after the track sprinter sent a letter to close family and friends admitting that she used steroids before the 2000 Olympics.
Jones said she took "the clear" for two years, beginning in 1999, and that she received it from former coach Trevor Graham, who told her it was flaxseed oil, reports the Washington Post. "The clear" is a performance-enhancing drug linked to BALCO, the lab at the center of a federal steroids investigation. Until now, Jones had repeatedly denied she ever took any form of performance-enhancing drugs.
Jones said she will plead guilty today in New York to two counts of lying to federal agents about her drug use and an unrelated financial matter, the Post reported. "I want to apologize for all of this," the Post reported her saying, quoting a person who received a copy of the letter and read it to the paper. "I am sorry for disappointing you all in so many ways."
Jones won three gold and two bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where she emerged as one of the United States' brightest stars. But her reputation took a hit in subsequent years by repeated allegations of steroid use.
In her letter, Jones said she lied when she was questioned in 2003 by federal agents investigating BALCO, (the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative). Jones said she panicked when agents presented her with a sample of "the clear," which she recognized as the substance Graham had given her.
In the letter, Jones said she didn't realize she'd used a performance-enhancing drug until she stopped training with Graham at the end of 2002. "Red flags should have been raised when he told me not to tell anyone," the Post reported, quoting the letter.
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Keeping it real, are we really surprised at this revelation?
Do we understand the pressure these athletes are under, to perform at their optimal best?
Having said that, I find it hard to believe she didn't push back when Graham said do not "tell anyone." Red flags, sirens, burglar alarms, car alarms, fireworks, WOMEN'S INTUITION all of those signals went off-unless you're a sociopathic serial killer-because you have a conscious.
She should have kept it real and said she just chose to ignore that gnawing feeling that told her "something wasn't right."
I don't know what her motive is for stepping up, but she should also give those medals back. She didn't earn them honestly.
You all better recognize-what goes on in the dark, shall come to light.
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