Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Influence Major International Sports Competition by Doping

Paul Alexander Askew (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to influence major international sports competitions by doping. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, beginning on or about July 10, 2023, and continuing through to on or about January 31, 2024, Askew conspired with a professional track and field athlete and at least one other person to provide the athlete with testosterone, a banned substance, to improve the athlete’s performances at major international track and field competitions.

The doping was ongoing during the athlete’s competitions in the 2023 Ed Murphey Classic, in Memphis, Tennessee; the 2023 Xiamen Diamond League, in China; and the 2023 Prefontaine Classic, in Eugene, Oregon. Although the doping conspiracy was revealed before the athlete could compete in other competitions, Askew and the athlete also intended to use illegal testosterone injections to improve the athlete’s performance at the 2024 American Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, the 2024 United States Olympics Trials, and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

This case was investigated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Flanigan.

"Paul Askew's guilty plea is another important win for clean sport and a clear reminder that those who conspire to dope athletes and corrupt major international competition will be held accountable under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (RADA)", says CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, Travis T. Tygart, and continues:

"Thanks to the coordinated work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Orlando District Office, the Department of Justice, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, this scheme was exposed before it could further defraud athletes, fans, and the integrity of the sport. This case shows why strong collaboration between law enforcement and anti-doping organizations matters.

When powerful performance-enhancing drugs like testosterone are used to manipulate competition, it is the clean athletes who are robbed of a fair playing field, irreplaceable podium moments, and the recognition they deserve. USADA is grateful for the investigators and prosecutors, including Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Flanigan, who helped bring this case forward, as well as the Trump administration for signing RADA into law in 2020 after the bill was passed with unanimous bi-partisan support by Congress."