SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Home run king Barry Bonds will be back in federal court on Dec. 16 to be sentenced for his felony obstruction of justice conviction.
A jury convicted Bonds in April of giving an evasive, rambling reply when asked whether he received drugs that required a syringe. Jurors couldn’t unanimously decide three other perjury charges alleging that Bonds lied to the grand jury when he denied knowingly taking human growth hormone, steroids and receiving injections from anyone but his doctor.
His conviction carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, yet federal guidelines call for 15-21 months. For similar offenses in the BALCO steroids ring case, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston sentenced cyclist Tammy Thomas to six months of home confinement and track coach Trevor Graham to one year of home confinement.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.