BALCO founder Victor Conte is to begin serving a four-month prison sentence on Thursday for orchestrating an illegal steroids distribution scheme that ensnared such athletes as Marion Jones and Barry Bonds.

Conte was sentenced in October to four months in prison and four months' home confinement in a plea deal with government prosecutors. He said he will report to a minimum security prison in Taft, about 190km from Los Angeles.

Conte founded and managed the Burlingame-based Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, where the steroids were sold. He pleaded guilty to money laundering and a steroid distribution charge, and dozens of other charges were dropped as part of his plea deal.

The lab counted dozens of prominent athletes among its clients, including Olympic track and field star Jones and Major League Baseball players Bonds and Jason Giambi, according to court records. None of the athletes named by Conte, some of whom testified before a grand jury, were charged in the scheme.

Greg Anderson, the person trainer of Major League Baseball star Bonds, was sentenced to three months behind bars and an additional three months of home confinement after pleading guilty to money laundering and a steroid distribution charge. Anderson also will report to prison on Thursday.

BALCO vice president James Valente was sentenced to three years' probation, and track coach Remi Korchemny is expected to receive probation at his February sentencing.

AP