IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi recently had all felony steroid possession and distribution charges against him dismissed; he pleaded guilty to only a misdemeanor count of possession of Viagra without a prescription. Nonetheless, this was enough to result in the revocation of his O-1 travel visa granted to foreign athletes who have extraordinary ability and have received international acclaim and recognition in their respective sport. As a result, he was taken into federal custody and placed in the Federal Correctional Institute at San Pedro, California.
Yamagishi retained immigration attorney Ms. Montserrat Miller, Esq. from the law firm Greenberg Traurig. Hide was given the option of remaining incarcerated while he fought the revocation of his O-1 visa or he could voluntarily return to Japan. Upon the advice of Ms. Miller, Hidetada Yamagishi chose the latter option.
When Hide returns to Japan, he will be faced with decisions on how to proceed with his bodybuilding career as it involves travel to the United States. Flexonline outlines his options:
Now, Yamagishi must choose whether he wants to fight the revocation of his visa from Japan or apply for re-entry to the United States. IF he chooses to contest the revocation and loses, Yamagishi faces a five-year ban where he will not, under any circumstances, be allowed to enter the United States. However, if Yamagishi elects to apply for a re-entry visa and is approved, it is likely that he would be allowed back in the country within the next few months.
Ron Nelson Brady, Jr. is accused of attempting to hire an undercover police detective posing as a hitman to kill three witnesses testifying against Pro Bodybuilder Craig Titus. Brady was described in court as a bizarrely obsessed fan of professoinal bodybuilder Craig Titus; muscle hero worship was cited as the motive behind his participation in the assassination plot that prosecution witnesses in the Titus-Ryan murder trial.
Craig Titus and wife IFBB Pro Fitness competitor Kelly Ryan were charged with murder, third degree arson and attempting to avoid prosecution in the homicide of Melissa James. The bodybuilding couple has been incarcerated since their arrest in December 2005. Craig Titus and Kelly Ryan are set to go to trial on June 2, 2008.
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Art Atwood was approached by the Dallas/Fort Worth CBS affiliate and asked about his involvement in a federal steroid investigation. Atwood was asked about potential steroid charges that he may face, concern about jail, and his association with David Jacobs who has agreed to a plea bargain in the steroid investigation.
Allan Donnelly of Flex Magazine reports that IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi’s preliminary court date on steroid possession and steroid distribution charges has been rescheduled to February 6, 2008. Hide was said to have “missed” the bus transporting him to his originally scheduled hearing on January 23, 2008; when he did arrive, Los Angelese Superior Court was unable to provide a court-appointed Japanese translator. So, the judge rescheduled the hearing two weeks later. Meanwhile, Hidetada returns to jail to continue to wait for his day in court.
It seems to be that it was the State’s responsible to deliver Hide to court on time and, when that was not possible, at least be able to provide a Japanese translator. Rescheduling the court date to almost two weeks later due to State incompetence doesn’t seem very fair to Hide.
Yesterday, rumors circulated that IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Victor Martinez, the overwhelming favorite to win the 2008 Arnold Classic bodybuilding contest, injured his knee while warming up and would pull out of the Arnold. Today, Dave Palumbo of Muscular Development confirmed this unfortunate news and reported that Victor Martinez will have surgery on his knee tomorrow:
Today, he went for an MRI at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and it was determined that he’ll require surgery to repair the injury. Victor will have one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the country operating on him tomorrow morning; and, if all goes as planned, he should be home by Saturday afternoon.
This is very unfortunate news for Victor Martinez and opens Arnold Classic contest wide open for other competitors, perhaps making Phil Heath the new frontrunner.
According to Flexonline.com, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Ronnie Coleman married 33-year old Rouaida Christine Achkar in late December 2007. The newlywed couples plans to have the wedding celebration in the bride’s home country of Lebanon on July 26, 2008. Ronnie Coleman is an eight-time Mr. Olympia bodybuilding champion who recently retired from competitive bodybuilding although he has not ruled out competing again. His bride is a personal trainer and a student at the University of Texas at Arlington majoring in sports medicine. Photos of the newlyweds Ronnie Coleman and Rouaida Christine Achkar can be seen on Flexonline.com
Muscletime.com was the first to report the official charges against Japanese bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi:
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi was formally charged today in Los Angeles Superior Court with nine counts of steroid possession and distribution including 5 counts of “possession or purchase of controlled substance;” 1 count of “transport of controlled substance into state for sale;” and 3 counts of “possession of a prescription drug without a prescription.”
IFBB Pro Bodybuilder Hidetada Yamagishi was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after arriving from Narita Airport (Tokyo) on December 8, 2007. Hide recently spent five weeks in his home country of Japan. He is currently being held at the North County Correctional Facility in Saugus, California on $180,000 bond. He will have a court date on January 8, 2008 at Los Angeles Municipal Court.
Contrary to what has been reported elsewhere, he is unlikely to post bail. Since U.S. authorities have placed an immigration hold on Hidetada Yamagishi, if he does post bail, he will immediately be taken into federal custody until the conclusion of his legal proceeding. Hide will then be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and placed in deportation proceedings.
This most certainly means he will not compete at the 2008 Ironman Pro Invitational or the 2008 Arnold Classic. Hidetada’s name has already been removed from the official Arnold Classic competitor’s list.
