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Dressed in a dark suit with a flannel and not baseball, Miguel Tejada became the first player with a reputation convicted of a crime arising from the scandals of the era by the use of steroids in the Major Leagues.

Tejada was found guilty Wednesday in federal court of lying to Congress about the use of drugs to enhance sporting performance.


By an agreement to which he pleaded guilty, met with the same prosecutors who seek to impose a sentence of Roger Clemens for perjury, Tejada admitted to concealing information about the consumption of steroids and human growth hormone by a former partner, in August 2005, when researchers from a congressional committee questioned him.

Tejada, who was the MVP of the American League in 2002, when he played with the Oakland Athletics, also acknowledged that it bought human growth hormone (HGH English) when he played for that team.


But the player, who now fights with the Houston Astros and was five times the paracorto Star Game, said it got rid of the drug-free. Prosecutors noted that they had no evidence to contradict his assertion.

Hours later, during a press conference in Houston, Tejada, 34, worked to contain tears as he apologized for what he considered an error. Did not accept to answer questions from the press.


"I just want to apologize," said Tejada about to mourn. "I made a mistake and now I know how serious was that I did not respond to a question on another partner."

The misdemeanor could even be punished with imprisonment for one year. The parameters provide a federal sentence more lenient, and a player's lawyer, Mark Tuhoney hoped that Tejada will be sentenced to probation.


Judge Alan Kay said that federal sentencing Tejada on March 26, during the major league season. The Astros do not have a game scheduled that day.

Kay asked more than once if the Dominican understood that the case could affect your immigration status in the United States.


"Yes, your honor," said Tejada.

The terms of the agreement were outlined in a letter dated February 5 sent to the lawyers of Tejada, and the player had until February 23 to respond.


"His guilty plea in this case can be subjected to detention, deportation or other sanctions from the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement," says the letter.

A spokeswoman for the agency said that each case is reviewed individually to determine whether an alien convicted of a crime should be deported. He said that the agency does not discuss the status of Tejada because he provides no details on individual cases.


Tejada attention of the audience with headphones to listen to the mode of simultaneous translation in Spanish.

The judge asked if Tejada had used alcohol or any drug, legal or illegal, in the last 24 hours that could affect your decision. Tejada replied softly, "Last night I took a couple of drinks." But he told the judge that he was no longer under the influence of alcohol or drugs.


His case is the following testimony that he paid to a panel of researchers from the lower house in 2005, saying not know if he knew about substance to improve performance in the Major Leagues.

The statement was submitted against Tejada a day after Alex Rodriguez confessed to have used substances to enhance performance. The prelude to the New York Yankees is not facing charges.

Tejada "illegally concealed information relevant to the committee because the accused before and during his interview with committee staff, was well aware that the No. 1 player, one of his companions with the Oakland Athletics, consumed steroids and HGH," said the car indictment.

In fact, prosecutors contend that during the preseason in 2003, Tejada took a substance which is presumed to be the hormone, that player, with payments of $ 3200 and 3100.

In the Mitchell report, which investigated the use of steroids in baseball, the Oakland outfielder Adam Piatto said it spoke to Tejada on the use of steroids, and claimed that he gave Tejada testosterone and HGH.

The Mitchell report, published in December 2007, included copies of checks allegedly signed by Tejada to Piatto in March 2003 for quantities of 3100 and $ 3200.

Suspicions began to fall on when another ex-Tejada, Rafael Palmeiro of the Baltimore Orioles, testified before the committee in the lower house. In January 2008, the committee asked the Justice Department to investigate whether the Dominican lied to Congress when he was interviewed in relation to the case of Palmeiro.

When the same congressional committee held a hearing in March 2005, Palmeiro said never to have used steroids. Cuba was suspended this year for throwing a positive steroids.

Palmeiro said his positive result was due to an injection of vitamin B-12, which supposedly gave Tejada.