Academic Fraud May Have Been Alleged In Redacted Manning Court Documents

Much has been written in recent days about an old court case between a former University of Tennessee athletic trainer and Peyton Manning in which Jaimie Naughwright accused Manning of sexually assaulting her in 1994 while she was examining a potential stress fracture on his foot. Manning, although initially denying the incident took place, later admitted he had mooned a fellow teammate in Naughwright's presence. She insisted he dropped his pants and pressed his butt against her head and rested his scrotum and penis on her head.

A 74-page court document filed by Wainwright's attorney in a case later settled out-of-court stated facts in support of his client's case, but a number of pages were redacted from that document by the court at Manning's attorney's insistence. The New York Daily News' Shaun King, who has written extensively about the events from Manning's college years, has promised to publish information about the redacted pages but has so far failed to do so. NBC Sports, by connecting a few dots, suggests the redacted information may have alleged academic fraud against Manning:

Via Hobson, an October 2002 deposition of former Tennessee athletic director Doug Dickey contains an exchange in which Naughright’s lawyer asked whether Naughright had spoken to associate A.D. Carmen Tegano “about the possibility of Peyton Manning having committed academic fraud” in a 1994 course taught by Tegano, which featured Naughright as a guest lecturer.

That question appears at page 63 of Dickey’s deposition transcript. However, at no point during or after the question or before or during the answer does Manning’s lawyer request that the matter be treated as confidential. At page 77, after Naughright’s lawyer presents to Dickey two documents for inspection and questioning, Manning’s lawyer requests that the questions and answers regarding the documents be placed in the “confidential record” of the case.

While it’s possible that, only 14 pages before asserting confidentiality regarding documents relating to the secret 1994 incident, Manning’s lawyers failed to make the same request regarding questions on the same topic, most lawyers don’t allow such matters to slip through the legal equivalent of the five hole. The two documents that triggered the confidentiality request at page 77 of the Dickey deposition had been introduced only one week earlier during the deposition of Jamie Naughright. Thus, Manning’s lawyer was well aware of the sensitivity of the 1994 allegation — and the lawyers undoubtedly were ready to ensure that any sensitive information would be kept out of the public record of the case.

That said, it’s one thing for the lawyers to have asked general questions about possible academic fraud; it’s quite another for the lawyers to have produced a pair of documents that arguably (or actually) substantiated it.

Until someone discloses the details of the 1994 incident that was removed from the 74-page document published last week by the Daily News, it will remain exactly what it has been for the last six days: A mystery.

NY Daily News: Peyton's Image Built On Lies

I've previously discussed how the New York Daily news is one of the few major news organizations that have dealt with the allegations of HGH use by Peyton Manning with any seriousness. Certainly, the fawning Indianapolis media has done next to nothing to look at the Indianapolis physician and his unconventional medical practices at the center of those allegations. Today, one of the NY Daily News' reporters, Shaun King, tears into the Gannett-owned USA Today for failing to bring forward 74-pages of court documents it's had in its possession for more than thirteen years about a sexual assault Manning allegedly committed as a young college quarterback at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. In a scathing assault on Manning's carefully-crafted and built public image, King vilifies Manning with the damning evidence he sexually assaulted a young, female athletic trainer for the university and then led a campaign of intimidation and harassment aimed at discrediting her reputation within the community.

To be fair, the case has been discussed in the past, primarily in the context of a defamation lawsuit the victim filed against Peyton, his father Archie and the ghost writer of a book self-promotion book for the Manning football family. Dr. Jamie Naughwright formerly worked as the Director of Health &Wellness for the University of Tennessee's Men's Athletic Program. In the fall of 1994, Naughwright was examining Manning's foot for a possible injury when Peyton allegedly exposed his private parts and forced Naughwright's face against them, causing his anus, scrotum and penis to come pressed against her face before she angrily pushed him away. Naughwright immediately complained about the incident, but Manning, who initially denied the allegations, went with a story concocted by one of the team's managers, who claimed he was simply trying to moon another teammate when his private parts inadvertently found their way into Naughwright's face. The only other eyewitness, a fellow teammate, disputed Manning's account and saw his football career come to an end.

The facts laid out in the subsequent court talked about an accepted environment of harassment and sexual abuse within the men's sports program. Naughwright claimed she had been labeled falsely as being a lesbian, "Lady Licker" and other sexually derogatory terms by both the university's sports' program professionals and players. Manning, in particular, harbored anger towards her after she complained about what amounted to a criminal sexual assault committed by him. The incident was actually reported within hours by Naughwright to the Knoxville Assault Crisis Center. Of course Manning was never charged with a crime, and the school forced Naughwright to leave the university's athletic program after a decade of solid service to the organization as part of a confidential settlement agreement. On two separate occasions subsequent to the sexual assault, Manning re-enacted the incident in Naughwright's presence by dropping his pants and sitting on the face of another teammate as a way of taunting her.

The public would have never known about the incident had Archie and Peyton Manning not opened up their mouths about the incident in their book where they attempted to portray Naughwright as a vulgar-talking woman, who wanted to be one of the guys and liked slipping into the dorms to have sex with black athletes. Her defamation lawsuit brought the lurid allegations to the forefront and, not surprisingly, the Manning's, their book's publisher and the University of Tennessee all quietly settled the lawsuit out of court."Thirteen years ago, USA Today obtained 74 pages of explosive court documents on Peyton Manning, Archie Manning, the University of Tennessee, and Florida Southern College that revealed allegations of a sexual-assault scandal, cover up, and smear campaign of the victim that was so deep, so widespread and so ugly that it would've rocked the American sports world to its core," King writes. "Yet USA Today never released those documents for reasons I can't explain." King obviously hasn't lived in a city where a Gannett newspaper is the primary source of news; otherwise, he would know the answer to his question.

The image of Manning portrayed by Naughwright is not new to people who lived in Indianapolis during the Peyton Manning years with the Colts. His relationship with his wife has frequently been described as strained. He had a luxury condo as a get-away pad in downtown Indianapolis in addition to his spacious Meridian Hills home. During the off-season, he seemed to enjoy going on the road with his best pal, Kenny Chesney, rather than spend time with his wife, at least until the twins came along. The twins' birth was another one of those awkward moments. Nobody seemed to know Ashley was pregnant, let alone expecting twins, before the loose lips of one of her cousins down in Mississippi let it out news of their arrival. When the media inquired about it, Manning's spokesman declined commenting on it at first, describing it as a personal family matter. The belated recording of the twins' birth led to speculation a surrogate mother may have been the mode of their delivery, something frowned upon by the Catholic affiliation of the children's hospital that bears his name.

Why Peyton Promoted Budweiser

Peyton Manning had three things on his mind after winning Super Bowl 50 that he had to share with the tens of millions of Americans tuned in and watching his Denver Broncos celebrate their win over the Carolina Panthers: kissing his wife Ashley, kissing his twins and drinking a lot of Budweiser beer. Wait, he just plugged a beer product for free after other companies spent millions advertising during the most costly advertising bonanza in television?

Active NFL players are not allowed to endorse alcoholic beverages. He's a man with a plan, and it usually involves his own wallet, even if it means violating NFL rules. Yes, Peyton Manning owns an interest in two Budweiser distributorships in his native state of Louisiana. Budweiser claims it knew nothing about the promotion in advance, but it had 50 cases of its product ready to be shipped over to the Broncos after party. It probably also doesn't hurt that Peyton's BFF, country music star Kenny Chesney, pitches one of the company's products, Corona beer. Just wondering whether Ashley or Kenny got the first kiss after the big win.

Best of luck to my good friend Peyton Manning in Super Bowl 50 today. #superbowl pic.twitter.com/7Q4MPgsqVW

— Kenny Chesney (@kennychesney) February 7, 2016

There was also a kiss for Papa John's founder John Schnatter. Peyton owns a slew of Papa John's franchises and gets paid to pitch their pizza.

The entire Manning clan was very proud at Peyton's fete. Or were they?
 
And Carolina's quarterback Cam Newton wasn't putting on any pretenses.

The Cover Up Is Always Worse Than The Crime

Michael Felger seems to get what others in the media are missing about the Peyton Manning/HGH story. Complete story here. For those of you reading this blog from outside the state of Indiana, please be advised that our law enforcement is blocking an investigation of the clinic at the center of this controversy. Please bring pressure to bare for answers from our law enforcement officials, specifically our Attorney General Greg Zoeller, who is now running for Congress. Our news media is more interested in protecting the Indianapolis Colts and their beloved Peyton Manning than learning the truth of this matter.

The Manning clan with convicted Ponzi schemer Tim Durham, Carl Brizzi and Shannon Frantz in the Bahamas after 2007 Super Bowl in Miami

Manning Sicced Private Eyes On Sly Before HGH Allegations Aired

Well it looks like our beloved Peyton "I play by the rules" Manning has ethics more akin to Bill and Hillary Clinton than our favorite sports hero. Manning had no scruples about sicking two private investigators on the family of Charles Sly, the pharmacy intern who made accusations about him regarding the use of HGH in an Al Jazeera report late last year. The Washington Post is reporting that the private investigators, who lied and claimed they were cops, showed up at Sly's parents' home seeking information on their son five days before the Al Jazeera piece aired. Deadspin shares the gist of the report:

The parents of a former Indianapolis anti-aging clinic employee who made hidden-camera accusations about Peyton Manning’s alleged HGH use called 9-1-1 after goons turned up on their doorstep seeking information about their pharmacist son, Charlie Sly.

That’s just one of the revelations in a Washington Post report today in which, for the first time, a Manning spokesperson admits that part of Sly’s story was true: that the Guyer Clinic in Indianapolis did indeed ship drugs to Manning’s house as alleged by Al-Jazeera America’s documentary and later by the documentary’s producer. Manning had previously called those claims “completely fabricated.” The Manning camp refused to discuss the issue further with the Post, citing Ashley Manning’s medical privacy.

But back to that 9-1-1 call. The Washington Post reports the investigation, which was funded by Peyton Manning, featured two private dicks knocking on Randall and Judith Sly’s door—with one of them, according to the call, falsely claiming to be a cop.

The Washington Post reports Manning’s private investigation into Sly began before the documentary aired, as the network sought responses from those alleged by Sly to have used performance-enhancing drugs. The paper also reports that Al-Jazeera failed to adequately protect the identity of its sources, which led Manning’s camp (led by former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer) to the Slys’ doorstep. Manning’s spooks refused to reveal their employer to the Slys, according to the Washington Post.

Charlie Sly recanted his claims the next morning in a video filmed at his parents’ dining room table. The private investigators claim they did not impersonate law enforcement officers upon arriving at the house.

The Big Lead discusses how The Post report makes clear that Manning's team was in damage control mode weeks before the Al Jazeera report aired after being tipped off by the Guyer Institute that it suspected Sly had been talking to the media organization:

What does the rest of this new information mean? Well, it means that Manning and his group were not caught off-guard in the least the day after Christmas. Ari Fleischer was already deeply involved for weeks. Manning’s representatives had a chance to review what appeared in writing in the medical records at Guyer Institute. They had an opportunity to track down and locate the source, and question him, and knew he recorded a recantation. So when Manning gave his emotional denial on Sunday, December 27th, that wasn’t a function of someone who had been blindsided.

Here's how The Post described Sly's parents' frightening encounter with Manning's hired goons at their Brownsburg home:

Five days before a documentary alleged that quarterback Peyton Manning and other star athletes had used performance-enhancing drugs, two men hired by Manning’s lawyers visited the parents of the documentary’s key witness. Both men wore black overcoats and jeans and, according to a 911 call from the house that evening, one initially said he was a law enforcement officer but didn’t have a badge. 

After they told their daughter to call 911 the night of Dec. 22, Randall and Judith Sly stepped outside to talk to the strangers, who clarified they were private investigators, not cops. They had come to this red brick house with a well-manicured lawn looking for the Slys’ 31-year-old son, Charlie, a pharmacist who was the primary source in the upcoming documentary . . . 

The Slys, who refused multiple requests for an interview and referred all questions to their lawyer, started to realize this was not a scam when private investigators Brian Bauer and Ben Ford arrived at their home just before 5 p.m. on Dec. 22. Initially afraid, the Slys told their daughter Kaitlyn — Charlie’s younger sister, home from North Carolina for Christmas — to call 911. But by the time a police officer arrived a few minutes later, the investigators had allayed Randall and Judith’s fears.

The Slys told the officer the men could stay, dispatch notes show.

Charlie wasn’t home yet; he was due to fly in later. On Dec. 23, Bauer and Ford returned and — after the Slys put their lawyer on speakerphone — the investigators asked Charlie some questions.

As Bauer and Ford probed Sly’s background, asking about his connections to various athletes, Cohron couldn’t figure out who they worked for. “They refused to say . . . other than a party interested in the Al Jazeera documentary,” Cohron said. He added: “It was a very cordial discussion.”

Sly told the investigators what his lawyer has said since the documentary aired: He made up everything regarding performance-enhancing drugs. Later, Sly and the lawyer Cohron decided they should come up with some kind of statement to rebut the upcoming documentary.

The next morning — Christmas Eve — Sly sat at the dining room table of his parents’ home. His father recorded the 55-second statement with an iPhone.

“My name is Charles Sly,” he began. “It has come to my attention that the broadcaster Al Jazeera has somehow obtained recordings or communications of me making statements concerning a number of athletes . . . There is no truth to any statement of mine that Al Jazeera plans to air.”

Like I've said before, Manning has nothing to fear. Does anyone think law enforcement here in Indiana is going to bring harm to his reputation, particularly given the risks a serious investigation could mean for the Indianapolis Colts organization?  The good 'ole boys like Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller have their backs.

Note: Bauer denies in The Post story that he identified himself as a law enforcement officer when he went to the Slys' home, which he noted is against the law.

Goodell Says NFL Takes HGH Investigation Seriously

The New York Daily News seems to be one of the few major media organizations which is giving any serious look at the allegations made in an Al Jazeera report late last year that a number of NFL and MLB players are using performance enhancement drugs like HGH to gain a competitive advantage. The Daily News draws attention to comments NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made about its investigation during an interview on the Rich Eisen Show today:

Not everyone is taking the Al Jazeera report that linked Peyton Manning to HGH use seriously, but the NFL is.

That was one thing that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made clear on Tuesday afternoon in an interview on the Rich Eisen Show.

"As you know, that report involved allegations that we take very seriously," Goodell said. "They were allegations well beyond any individual player and we take those seriously. We're working with law enforcement, we're working with USADA, we're working with Major League Baseball, which is also involved, to make sure that we investigate that seriously, fully, thoughtfully and just like any other investigation we allow the facts to come about. That's where the focus is right now."

Manning, who will quarterback the Denver Broncos against the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, was linked to HGH in an Al Jazeera report midway through January. The report suggested that Manning's wife received shipments of HGH in 2011, and it seemed to imply it was for Manning's use.

Manning continued to refute the report on Monday night, saying he expects the NFL investigation will turn up a "a big fat nothing." But he also added that he "respected" the rules of the NFL, seemingly hinting that he would turn over any information that Goodell needed. Goodell seemed to confirm that Tuesday, although he spoke generally.

"We have players and others that have committed their full cooperation," Goodell said, "and that's important in the context of getting to the facts." . . .

It's too bad the Indianapolis Star and the rest of the media in this town have decided a news blackout on this story is in order. You knew they would begin circling the wagons as soon as their beloved Manning, who has denied using any HGH shipped to his wife, blew his whistle on his former Indianapolis Colts employer, making clear that he would have never gone to the Guyer Institute in Indianapolis, an anti-aging clinic which offers unconventional medical treatments, had he not been encouraged to do so by the Colts organization and under their supervision. After the endless reporting on the Deflategate nonsense to which we were treated last year, the Indianapolis media owes its public legitimate investigative journalism when a more serious subject matter arises.

Attorney General Greg Zoeller is in the best position to initiate an investigation into the allegations given his statutory role in prosecuting cases against medical practitioners who stray from the rules of their licensed profession. If HGH is being prescribed by that clinic in the fashion originally claimed by one of its former pharmacy interns, Charles Sly, and one of its former patients, WTHR sports commentator Bob Kravitz, that is a prohibited off-label use of the drug. For comical relief, Zoeller partnered with Colts owner Jim Irsay and his Colts organization in a campaign against prescription drug abuse only months after Irsay's arrest in Carmel in March 2014 for driving while intoxicated. A large stash of prescription drugs were found in Irsay's possession during that arrest.

Advance Indiana has already heard from reporters that Zoeller says he has no jurisdiction to investigate the matter because no formal complaint has been made against any licensed practitioner. He's not about to investigate anything that might implicate the Indianapolis Colts. His office deferred questions to the FBI, which obviously isn't doing anything since it never acted even after a criminal indictment in an unrelated federal case prosecuted in Colorado claimed HGH imported from China made its way to the Indianapolis clinic in question. The Attorney General's office has in the past initiated investigations involving off-label use of prescription drugs, notwithstanding Zoeller's refusal to look into the matter.

Zoeller's inaction comes as no surprise. This is the same guy, after all, who was very cozy with convicted Ponzi schemer Tim Durham when it was still popular to hang out with him, along with our corrupt former Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi. Zoeller provided a job to Durham's  adopted son in his office, although nobody really knew what his job responsibilities were supposed to be. Zoeller quietly removed him from his payroll following the FBI raid on Durham's crumbling empire. Naturally, our local media made no effort to learn more about why or what Bernard Durham was doing on Zoeller's payroll. Bernard is the biological son of Bernard Marie, the first husband of his mother, Joan SerVaas, daughter of the late Beurt SerVaas. Marie, a French emigrant, has been described as an "off-the-books intelligence asset" for the French. Zoeller was one of the last holdouts in returning large campaign contributions he had received from Durham to the bankruptcy trustee overseeing recovery of the more than $220 million out of which Durham had defrauded Ohio investors of Fair Finance.

Zoeller's Refusal To Investigate Clinic's Alleged Off-Label Prescribing Of HGH Hamstrings NFL's Investigation

Forbes' Alex Reimer has an interesting story on why the NFL will have a tough time conducting an investigation to determine whether Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning received human growth hormone treatment from an anti-aging clinic in Indianapolis. As Reimer points out, Manning would have to fully cooperate and voluntarily turn over his and his wife's medical records. That's because the NFL lacks subpoena power, something Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has to investigate licensed medical professionals in Indiana.

"Given that the NFL lacks subpoena power, Manning and his wife will have to grant the league legal authorization to obtain the documents pertaining to the treatment they received at the Guyer Institute, the Indianapolis-based clinic that allegedly shipped HGH to Manning’s home under his wife’s name," Reimer writes. "The only way the NFL can acquire those records without Manning’s permission is if the Guyer Institute is prosecuted or faces civil litigation.

One of the worst kept secrets in Indianapolis is the long-term addiction Colts owner Jim Irsay has battled with prescription painkillers. In 2002, WTHR had a blockbuster report about Irsay's drug addiction problem that had resulted in his hospitalization on several occasions for drug overdoses. [Note: WTHR has since scrubbed that blockbuster report from its website] Way back then, Zoeller's predecessor, Steve Carter, launched an investigation of the physicians and pharmacists who had supplied Irsay with those those prescription painkillers. Formal charges were filed by the Attorney General against Dr. Gregory Chernoff for prescribing powerful prescription drugs like Hydrocodone and Norco to Irsay. The complaint alleged that Irsay was paying excessive fees to obtain the drugs, even after a stint in drug rehabilitation. The Attorney General also filed complaints against three pharmacists, who filled the prescriptions Dr. Chernoff wrote.

Flash forward to March 2014, Jim Irsay was stopped by a Carmel police officer after he was observed driving his vehicle in a residential neighborhood erratically. Irsay was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and possession of controlled substances after a large amount of prescriptions pills and cash were found in his possession. Irsay later pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor DUI offense under a sweetheart deal his attorney worked out with the Hamilton Co. Prosecutor's Office.

Months following Irsay's arrest, Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced his office was teaming up with the Indianapolis Colts to heighten awareness of Indiana's prescription drug abuse epidemic. "I am enthusiastic about our partnership with the Prescription Drug Abuse Task Force," said Colts Owner and CEO Jim Irsay. "The statistics related to this issue in Indiana are eye-openers, and we hope we can use the Colts platform to get the word out and raise awareness about prevention." "Teaming with the Colts and their professional athletes will allow us to focus public attention on this epidemic and the need to help those held in the grip of pain and addiction," Zoeller added. "My hope is that, with the support of the Colts we can save many lives from this growing problem." It's worth noting that in response to the allegations made in the Al Jazeera report that made headlines late last year, Manning noted that the Colts organization recommended and approved of all treatments he received at the Guyer Institute.

Yeah, you get the picture. Like I said yesterday, unless the Indianapolis media holds Zoeller's feet to the fire, this will be yet another scandal swept under the rug to protect persons too big to hold accountable to the same laws you and I are expected to follow. It is truly remarkable how little interest the Indianapolis media has shown in covering this story, even after it was revealed by one of their own, WTHR sports repoter Bob Kravitz, that he had been prescribed HGH by the same Indianapolis clinic at which someone in the Manning household was accused of being prescribed HGH for what sure seemed to be an illlegal, off-label use of the drug.

NFL Investigating Alleged HGH Use By Peyton Manning

Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning has dismissed an Al Jazeera report in which a former pharmacy intern for the Indianapolis-based Guyer Instititue alleged the clinic regularly shipped human growth hormone addressed to his wife Ashley Manning as "complete garbage." The accuser, Charlie Sly, later recanted his claims when he learned Al Jazeera was about to air his explosive allegations. In that Al Jazeera interview, Sly commented that he was surprised authorities had not shut down the Guyer Institute. The issue isn't going away with Sly's denials. The NFL announced today that it's conducting a comprehensive investigation of the Super Bowl-bound quarterback which will not be completed before the playing of this year's big event.

An interesting aspect to this story that has been overlooked by the Indianapolis media is why Attorney General Greg Zoeller's office is not investigating the allegations. Zoeller has told reporters this is a matter for the FBI, not his office to investigate, and that nobody has lodged a formal complaint against the Indianapolis-based physician at the center of the controversy. Zoeller's office has initiated investigations on its own under the powers granted to him under state law. This allegation involves an alleged off-labeled use of a prescription drug, something his office has pursued in the past. Does he think someone like a professional athlete being prescribed a drug for an off-label use is going to file a complaint against his doctor? Indianapolis reporters should be holding Zoeller's feet to the fire. His decision to ignore these allegations has more to do with politics than what he can or can't investigate.

New York Times Report Ties Charlie Sly To Personal Trainer For Top Athletes Named In Al Jazeera Report

Jason Riley (center) with two of his pro athlete clients, Mike Neal (left) and Ryan Howard (right)

The New York Times' Michael Powell has a very intriguing report, "Following the names in the Al Jazeera doping report," in which he uncovered the fact that the man at the center of the original doping allegations, Charlie Sly, is a business partner with a Florida personal fitness trainer who counts several of the athletes Sly named in the Al Jazeera report as users of performance enhancement drugs before later recanting almost all of his claims. Not only did Sly co-found Elementz Nutrition, LLC with Jason Riley according to Powell, he listed Riley's home in Lakewood Ranch, Florida when he applied for his Florida pharmacist intern license with the state of Florida's Department of Health on July 31, 2012, a license that is still current.

CHARLES DAVID SLY
License Number: PSI29533
Data As Of 1/4/2016
Profession: Pharmacist Intern
License: PSI29533
License Status CLEAR/
License Expiration Date License Original Issue Date: 07/31/2012
Address of Record: 14406 SUNDIAL PLACE LAKEWOOD RANCH, FL 34202
Discipline on File: No
Public Complaint: No

"Riley's work as a trainer is so celebrated that he carries a reputation as "baseball's MVP of the post-steroids era," Powell writes. According to Powell, Riley is credited with turning around the career of one of his clients, Derek Jeter, although Powell is quick to note there is no evidence linking Jeter to the use of performance enhancement drugs in the Al Jazeera report. Among the athletes Sly named in the Al Jazeera documentary that were using HGH included baseball players Ryan Howard and Ryan Zimmerman and football players Mike Neal and Dustin Keller, all of whom are clients of Riley. Sly also alleged in the Al Jazeera report that the Indianapolis-based anti-aging clinic, The Guyer Institute, where he previously worked as a pharmacy intern and which treated Peyton and Ashley Manning, regularly shipped HGH to Ashley Manning at an address in Florida and other places. Powell's story does not claim Manning is one of Riley's clients.

So could Sly's connection to Riley and the fact that he mentions several of them in the Al Jazeera report as users of HGH all just be a coincidence? Powell, after taking it all in, wondered what to make of Sly and his recantation.

But what to make of Sly. In the end, the story hinges on his credibility. A man who operates in the athletic shadows, he was confronted with his hours of undercover interviews, and recanted. He proclaimed himself an idle boaster.

What was he supposed to do, if what he had said was true? Acknowledge it and allow his words to become his manacles?

One correction should be made in Powell's story. "Last week, Elementz Nutrition voluntarily dissolved and closed its doors," Powell claims in his story. Actually, Riley voluntarily dissolved Elementz RX, LLC, not Elementz Nutrition, LLC, both of which list Riley's home as the business address. The incorporation documents filed with the state of Florida for Elementz RX described it as: " [A] supplement company wanting to develop pharmaceutical grade supplements to health care practitioners and athletes. Our sole purpose is to provide the cleanest products that can assist people in their health quest." Elementz Nutrition still has an active website here. It also maintains a Facebook site here.

More On Guyer's Ties To Convicted Ponzi Schemer Tim Durham

The Manning clan with Carl Brizzi and Tim Durham in the Bahamas after the 2007 Super Bowl in Miami

UPDATED: Birds of a feather certainly flock together in Indianapolis. We told you yesterday that Dr. Dale Guyer, whose clinic is at the center of the HGH doping allegations made in an Al Jazeera documentary that aired this past weekend and may involve a client of Guyer's clinic, Peyton Manning, had been a past business partner with convicted Ponzi schemer Tim Durham. The Indianapolis Star elaborates more on Guyer's ties to Durham in a new online story today.

Guyer received about a million dollars in loans from Durham which he failed to repay prior to Fair Finance Company's collapse that resulted in the loss of more than $220 million for thousands of Ohio investors. Those loans came either directly from Durham or one of the companies he controlled that bilked Fair Finance and were made to Guyer's Advance Medical Center, P.C. according to The Star. Guyer is now attempting to repay those loans to the bankruptcy trustee overseeing efforts to collect money on behalf of the defrauded investors of Fair Finance. As Advance Indiana told you yesterday, another business controlled by Durham and Guyer, Guyer Durham, LLC. received $268,990 in fraudulent transfers according to a judgment obtained by the bankruptcy trustee. The IBJ is reporting that the Fair Finance bankruptcy trustee settled $400,000 in claims against Dr. Guyer for just $30,000 earlier this year because of his struggling financial situation.

This is a very sordid bunch of characters involved here. Durham, of course, had bought and paid for our former corrupt Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi, whom our Mayor-elect Joe Hogsett allowed to skate on multiple crimes he committed while in office while he was serving as federal prosecutor for the Southern District of Indiana. In addition to having briefly served on Fair Finance's board of directors prior to its collapse, Brizzi was business partners with Indianapolis attorney Paul Page, who pleaded guilty to a real estate fraud charge in connection with property the two owned together in Elkhart that was awarded a lucrative lease on a building used by the state's Department of Child Services. Brizzi is also business partners with Peyton Manning in the Harry & Izzy's restaurant franchise based in Indianapolis.

Brizzi and Page were at the center of another cover up of a local sports doping probe. Page represented Joseph Mobarecki, a local fitness gym manager, whom Indianapolis police arrested for illegally dealing anabolic steroids. At the time of Mobarecki's arrest, he was found to possess more than $100,000 of the drugs he was illegally dispensing, along with $17,000 in cash. Police sources were infuriated when Brizzi blocked a larger probe after entering into a sweetheart plea agreement with Mobarecki, which allowed him to get back $10,000 of the cash police seized after he pleaded guilty to just one felony offense. Mobarecki served just two days in jail and paid a $365 fine. Police working on the case believed Mobarecki was selling the steroids to a number of prominent professional athletes, as well as college and high school athletes. Hogsett stunned many in law enforcement when he ended a federal probe of Brizzi's corruption as Marion Co. Prosecutor in the face of overwhelming evidence against him. Hogsett incredibly claimed there was a lack of evidence to indict Brizzi.

Brizzi's predecessor was not much better than him when it came to cover ups. Who can forget Scott Newman's handling of Jim Irsay's prescription drug fraud problem. Irsay has battled an addiction to prescription drugs for the past couple of decades. WTHR's Roger Harvey had a blockbuster investigative report on Irsay's addiction in 2002, which included reports Irsay had been treated for drug overdoses at area hospitals on several occasions. No charges were ever brought against Irsay, although several health care professionals were sanctioned for their role in the affair. Our local powers that be decided the mess had to be quashed out of fear Irsay was in danger of NFL officials taking the Colts franchise away from him. Harvey left his job at WTHR-TV and became a PR person for the same law firm where Hogsett has been a partner. Not surprisingly, one of his firm's clients was the Indianapolis Colts. Irsay was again arrested last year for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and found to be in possession of quite a stash of prescription drugs. He got off with another slap on the wrist. We later learned that a woman associated with him had died of a drug overdose shortly before his arrest.

Denver Post's Fast Facts About Al Jazeera Documentary

The Denver Post's Matt Dolloff provides ten relevant facts I recommend to anyone interested in understanding just the facts regarding the substance of the revelations from an Al Jazeera documentary on the use of performance enhancement drugs by professional athletes in the U.S. as they relate to Peyton Manning. I'm certain Dolloff's summary is less than comforting to Manning, his PR machine and his lackeys in the mainstream media. Here's a quick summary of what Dolloff tells us:

1. It's illegal to prescribe human growth hormones ("HGH") for off-label use. Unless you suffer from growth hormone deficiency, are wasting away because of HIV-AIDS or suffer from short bowel syndrome, it's illegal for your doctor to prescribe HGH to you.

2. The Guyer Institute has prescribed HGH in the past based on the personal account given by our most well-known local sports reporter, WTHR-TV's Bob Kravitz, who claims he was once prescribed HGH to treat a medical disorder by Dr. Guyer without success. The medical disorder described by Kravitz did not fit within the permitted medical conditions for treatment with HGH.

3. The Al Jazeera documentary quotes a former pharmacy intern at the Guyer Institute, Charlie Sly, as claiming the clinic regularly shipped HGH to Ashley Manning at an address in Florida.

4. Manning's spokesman confirmed Ashley Manning was a patient at the Guyer Institute and had a prescription with the clinic, the identity of which the Mannings have not disclosed. Manning has confirmed he was a patient there as well in 2010 for treating his neck injury, although he strongly denies he ever received HGH from the clinic.

5. Al Jazeera's documentary never directly accused Peyton of using HGH, although the subject matter of the documentary naturally led those reacting to the report, including Peyton, to infer just that. Sly's original claims strongly implied the HGH shipped to Ashley was actually for Peyton.

6. Al Jazeera is a reputable news organization despite its perception that it is aligned with radical Islam. Dolloff notes the news organization has won numerous awards for its reporting, including two Peabody Award wins for documentaries in 2014.

7. Peyton Manning has never denied Al Jazeera's allegation that HGH had been shipped to Ashley Manning in the past.

8. Sly has a motive to recant his allegations now that they've been aired because of potential liability he faces for violating the federal HIPAA law protecting patients from disclosure of their medical information.

9. Al Jazeera obtained verbal confirmation from the Guyer Institute that Sly had worked at its Indianapolis clinic for three months starting in October 2011, not the later 2013 date the clinic claimed he worked after the documentary aired.

10. The NFL is taking the allegations serious enough to begin a review of the information disclosed by the documentary.

UPDATE: The Star adds some more, unflattering news about Dr. Guyer. He's been going through a protracted divorce with his wife for more than five years, who accuses him of failing to file income tax returns since 2006 either personally or on his businesses. The Star says the IRS has filed numerous liens against him. His step-son, James Lockhart, III, died in a shoot-out with Fortville police in 2012 after he was stopped for a broken taillight. Police found a pound of marijuana and six guns in the car. Officer Matt Fox survived gunshot injuries from that shootout. Here's the most relevant information for the current allegations surrounding HGH:

In 2007, Guyer's name showed up in a federal indictment against Thomas Bader and his company, College Pharmacy of Colorado Springs, Colo. It alleged that Guyer received illegal Chinese HGH from College Pharmacy in February 2007. A jury found Bader guilty in 2010 and he was sentenced to 40 months in prison.

So the feds knew this as far back as 2007 but left Dr. Guyer untouched. Why? Oh, and guess who Guyer was once a business partner. He was a partner in a business known as Guyer Durham LLC. That would be convicted Ponzi schemer Tim Durham. The bankruptcy trustee for Fair Finance obtained a $268,990 judgment against the partnership in 2012 for what the trustee described as "fraudulent transfers." For those of you reading this blog from outside of Indiana, if you haven't figured this out yet, our city is a freaking cesspool of corruption. We badly need the intervention of the Justice Department to send most of our city and business leaders to prison, but we can't get their help.

Here's a WISH-TV news story of the 2012 shoot-out involving Guyer's step-son.

Guyer Institute Employee Previously Verified Manning Accuser's Employment In 2011

Shortly after Al Jazeera released the findings of its bombshell documentary in which a former pharmacy intern for the Guyer Institute in Indianapolis accused former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning of receiving HGH treatments at the clinic to help repair his neck following surgery in 2011 that sidelined him for the season, Dr. Dale Guyer released a statement to the media in which he stated that the man at the center of the allegations, Charlie Sly, had only worked for his clinic as an unpaid pharmacy assistant for three months in 2013 after Manning stopped visiting the clinic, not in 2011 when Sly alleged the treatments occurred.

Al Jazeera has released a recording of a call it made to the Guyer Clinic prior to airing its documentary in which an employee of the Guyer Institute identified as "Heather" verified Sly's employment started on October 17, 2011 and last no more than three months, contradicting Dr. Guyer's assertion that his employment took place in 2013. Here's the full text of Guyer's statement following the airing of the documentary:

Charles Sly was never an employee of The Guyer Institute. At the time in question, Mr. Sly was a pharmacy student in Nevada who emailed my office a request for an internship. Arrangements for his internship, including the specific start and end dates, were made through his school adviser.

Mr. Sly began his unpaid student internship with us on February 18th, 2013. He had no patient responsibilities at any time. Further, he had no affiliation with our office prior to February 18th, 2013 and has had none subsequent to the conclusion of his internship in May of 2013.

Ari Fleischer, a former Bush White House press secretary hired by Manning as a media specialist, first told the Denver Post that Sly had not been employed by the Guyer Institute in 2011 when Manning received his treatments there. Sly also claimed his employment took place in 2013 in a video statement he released late Saturday night recanting all of the allegations he made about Manning's treatment at the Guyer Institute while being secretly-recorded by Liam Collins, who conducted the investigation while working under cover for Al Jazeera. I suppose it's possible that Guyer's employee got the date wrong when she provided his verification of employment to Al Jazeera. Or perhaps the damage control efforts have spun a bit out of control. It wouldn't be a first for Ari Fleischer, who was repeatedly caught in much bigger lies by White House reporters when he served as a spokesman for President George W. Bush. Sly, who Guyer says was attending school in Nevada, obtained his Indiana pharmacy intern license on April 27, 2010, and it expired on May 1, 2013. I'm not sure why he would have acquired his intern license way back in 2010 if he didn't plan to work in Indiana as an intern until 2013.

The Al Jazeera reporter Deborah Davies defended her documentary on the Today Show this morning. She insists their report did not allege Manning was taking HGH, only that shipments of HGH were being regularly sent by the clinic to her at an address in Florida.

Manning Denies Report He Used Human Growth Hormone Treatment

A Texas pharmacist formerly affiliated with the Indianapolis-based Guyer Institute is denying a report contained in an Al Jazeera documentary in which he claims former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning used human growth hormone treatment (HGH) for a neck injury that sidelined him during his last season with the Colts in 2011. HGH was banned by the NFL in 2011.

The pharmacist, Charlie Sly, is recorded by an undercover reporter, Liam Collins, claiming Manning was given a supply of HGH in his wife's name in 2011 while Sly was still employed at the clinic specializing in anti-aging treatments. According to the report, Manning was just one of several professional athletes who were supplied illegal performance enhancing drugs. Sly, who could face professional sanctions for discussing a patient's confidential medical information, released a video statement in which he recants what he told to the undercover reporter.

The Denver Broncos released a strong statement on behalf of Manning denying the allegation. "The allegation that I would do something like that is complete garbage and is totally made up," Manning said. "It never happened. Never. I really can't believe somebody would put something like this on the air. Whoever said this is making stuff up."

This is not the first time Manning's medical treatment has become the subject of public speculation. There were also news reports that Manning had traveled to Europe in 2011 to receive stem cell therapy to treat his neck injury after his surgery. Stem cell therapy is one of the treatment therapies utilized by the Guyer Institute.

UPDATE: News reports describe Charlie Sly as a "pharmacist," although it's not clear whether he ever was a licensed pharmacist. I checked Indiana's online licensing records for Sly. He was never issued a license as a pharmacist. He was issued a pharmacist intern license on April 27, 2010, which expired on May 1, 2013. Sly is reportedly now living in Texas. According to Texas pharmacy records, he has never been issued any pharmacy-related license in Texas.

The documentary, "The Dark Side," has now been uploaded to YouTube.
In the undercover recordings, Sly says Dr. Dale Guyer regularly administered HGH drugs in his clinic in Indianapolis when he was employed there. A medical expert Al Jazeera spoke to said the drugs could only be administered to persons with growth hormone deficiency related to pituitary gland disorders, HIV wasting and short bowel syndrome where bowel has been removed during cancer treatment. It is illegal to prescribe the drugs for any off-label use. Sly told Collins during the secretly-recorded interview he was surprised the Guyer Institute hasn't been shut done already. He claimed Guyer's clinic frequently shipped the drug to Manning at various addresses, which were addressed to Manning's wife, Ashley. He also said he saw Manning in the clinic being treated on several occasions.

In response to Sly's claims, Manning said all of his treatments at the Guyer Institute were done in consultation with physicians and with the knowledge and approval of the Colts franchise. He cited medical privacy for not discussing any treatment his wife may have been receiving from the Guyer Institute. He said through his spokesperson that any drugs shipped to Ashley were used solely by her.

What Sly is captured on video doing is clearly illegal as well. He appears to be illegally dispensing drugs from his high-rise luxury condominium in Austin in the video. In one case, Collins captures MLB player Taylor Teagarden visiting Sly and discussing banned drugs he was receiving from Sly to improve his performance as a catcher for the Chicago Cubs. The Guyer Institute claims Sly was only an unpaid intern for the clinic in 2013, not 2011 as claimed in the Al Jazeera report when Manning was receiving treatment there. Manning says he used a hyperbaric chamber at Guyer's clinic recommended by his doctor and team officials. He also acknowledged receiving some nutrient IV treatments at the clinic.

In the video web ad below, Dr. Guyer discusses the use of bio identical hormone replacement therapy.

Football On Your Phone, Yeah, Whatever

Health Department Confirms Birth Of Manning Twins

Indianapolis' biggest celebrity is obviously Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning. So when Internet rumors surfaced earlier this month that he and his wife were the proud parents of twins born last month, some speculated it was an April Fool's joke. Just three days ago, the Star's Cathy Kightlinger was rebuffed by Ashley when she attempted to confirm the birth of the twins. As she reported then:

Several Internet sites Friday reported that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and his wife, Ashley, are the parents of twins Marshall Williams Manning and Mosley Thompson Manning, born March 31 in Indianapolis.


Ashley Manning would not confirm reports of the births of the baby boy and girl.

"We value our privacy and would appreciate you not putting this in the paper or online," she wrote Friday in an email message to The Indianapolis Star.

The Neshoba Democrat, the (Philadelphia, Miss.) hometown newspaper of the four-time NFL MVP's mother, Olivia, first reported the news Wednesday on its website. On Friday, managing editor Debbie Myers told The Star that news of the twins, which appeared in the column "Just Among Friends" by reporter Rachel Evans, came from a Manning family member.

This evening, an online Star story confirms the twins' birth not from the Mannings but rather a spokesman for the Marion County Health Department. The story reads:

Peyton and Ashley Manning are the parents of two-week-old twins, the Marion County Health Department confirmed today.


Birth certificates are on file for Marshall Williams Manning and Mosley Thompson Manning, born March 31 in Marion County, said John Althardt, department spokesman.

The certificates list Peyton W. and Louisa Ashley as the parents.

Indiana law requires the above information to be public, but it does not require state officials to release any additional information, including the hospital where the babies were born, Althardt said.

The Star notes that Peyton's younger brother Eli and his wife, Abby, announced the birth of their daughter, Ava, on March 21. News of their expected arrival first surfaced on a Hollywood gossip site last October and had long been anticipated. Folks in Indianapolis and elsewhere seemed to be in the dark about the impending arrival of Peyton's twins. Very strange. Maybe we should put Donald Trump's investigators on the case.