USA Today: MLB agents deny knowing about steroid purchases

Lo Duca…“Took away a lot of hard line drives”...until today.

USA TODAY Sports has obtained copies of three checks from a joint account with Lo Duca and Samuel W. Levinson/CO ACES; two of them, in the amount of $3,200, were issued to Radomski for the purchase of steroid kits. Another check was for $10,000 and sent to the four-time All-Star catcher’s father, Paul Lo Duca Sr.

The checks appear to have slightly different handwriting, but Michael LoVerde, the Levinsons’ accountant, said LoDuca’s signature was on all three checks. He was unaware of any signature stamp used to authorize payments, or an agreement that would provide the Levinsons’ agency authorization to sign checks in his name to Radomski or anyone else.

LoVerde said that the handwritten checks used to pay Radomski differ from the typewritten checks typically prepared by ACES. There were also typewritten checks from two different joint accounts from Lo Duca and Sam Levinson to Lo Duca’s father, one for $4,000 on Dec. 4, 2003, and the other for $40,000 on Nov. 22, 2005. The signatures match Lo Duca’s signature from his Feb. 19, 2005, contract with the Florida Marlins.

Lo Duca did not return calls seeking comment.

LoVerde, whose firm also represents about 100 pro athletes, said the joint checking account held by Lo Duca and the Levinsons was similar to other arrangements between athletes and their agents. LoVerde describes the account as a petty cash fund, typically used by the player to pay for a range of services.

“It’s not (the Levinson’s money), it’s the player’s assets,” LoVerde said. “I would be very surprised that any (agent) would monitor those accounts.”