In what could be a less-than-gold medal moment for Jacksonville's own Paul Alexander Askew, the 46-year-old has been slapped with a federal indictment, charged with stirring up some decidedly unsporting behavior – doping, to be precise. According to a press release from the United States Attorney's Office, this local resident is facing the music, and potentially a decade behind bars, for conspiracy to influence major international sports competitions by playing the pharmacological puppet master to athletes.
The evidence they're hanging their hats on? An indictment alleging that from summer 2023 through the dawn of 2024 Askew was in cahoots with others in a grand scheme to tip the scales at events ranging from the 2023 Ed Murphey Classic all the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics, and this is no small-time operation, with the DEA and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency joining the chorus of investigators harmonizing in efforts to bring the accusations to light. Let's not forget, these are just that – accusations – and Askew is deemed as innocent as a newborn until the gavel comes down hard with a guilty verdict.
With Uncle Sam beckoning at Askew's wallet, the indictment also broadcasts the government's intention to forfeit assets tied to the offense, which has to be a tough pill to swallow when you're already staring down the barrel of a lengthy prison stint, right? But setting aside the hubbub, U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe was the one tapping the mic to make the announcement, while Assistant United States Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan will be playing point on prosecution duty in this court-side drama.
