Center search finds syringes, steroids in desk of coach's son, By: Hal Habib and Tom Dubocq
March 16, 2007
Steroids and syringes were seized from the desk of Chris Ruh, son of Jupiter Christian High School wrestling coach Robin Ruh, during a search of the Palm Beach Rejuvenation Center, according to documents filed with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Another probe will be initiated today when the Florida High School Athletic Association instructs an investigator to begin checking for possible steroid connections with Jupiter Christian's wrestling program, an FHSAA spokesman said Thursday. A year ago, Jupiter Christian became the smallest school ever to win a state wrestling title in Florida.
The Rejuvenation Center, on Indiantown Road in Jupiter, is under investigation by state and federal authorities for possible distribution of steroids and human growth hormone. Its director, Joseph L. Raich, is a longtime booster of amateur wrestling and has sons who have won local and state wrestling titles for Jupiter Christian.
Authorities searching Chris Ruh's desk reported finding 50 milligrams of Stanozolol, syringes and unspecified testing equipment, possibly used to conduct blood or drug tests.
Stanozolol was the synthetic anabolic steroid taken by Canadian 100-meter sprinter Ben Johnson, who was stripped of his 1988 gold medal at the Seoul Olympics. It is banned under the World Anti-Doping Code for athletics.
"I don't know anything about that stuff," Robin Ruh said Thursday of the steroids found at his son's desk. "I have not talked to him about any of that stuff."
Chris Ruh, 28, a former soccer and basketball player at Jupiter Christian, could not be reached. He has no apparent role at the school today. Three employees of Palm Beach Rejuvenation were indicted last week, but Raich, 44, and Chris Ruh were not among them. Neither has been charged.
Asked if he was concerned by the reported contents of his son's desk, Robin Ruh said, "Would it concern you?" He said he might discuss the matter with his son "if the situation arises" but declined further comment.
Meanwhile, the Gainesville-based organization that governs state high school athletics informed Scott Loud, an athletic official at Jupiter Christian, of the impending investigation. It was triggered by the FDLE search of Palm Beach Rejuvenation, media reports and complaints lodged to the FHSAA.
FHSAA Commissioner John Stewart said he couldn't comment because neither legal officials nor his investigator has completed work and Chris Ruh has not been adjudicated.
"Short of that, we can't do anything," Stewart said. "That's why we're sending our investigator down, to see exactly what's going on, because the school has volunteered nothing for us. ... We don't have any firsthand knowledge of anything."
Stewart would not speculate on whether Jupiter Christian's state championship could be in jeopardy.
The investigation's timetable is uncertain. The FHSAA uses four part-time investigators to handle allegations, and Stewart said his association has "a number" of inquiries taking place statewide.
"But we asked him to expedite it," said Sonny Hester, the FHSAA's associate commissioner for compliance and eligibility.
Since Jupiter Christian is on spring break next week, it's possible the investigator could arrive March 26. He must receive approval to visit the campus, Stewart said, but that's considered a formality because if the school declines, it can be barred from competing in athletics.
Stewart added that under Florida law, which he hopes will soon change, the FHSAA has no power to force the school to test athletes for performance-enhancers.
Jupiter Christian critics also have questioned why many of the Eagles' top wrestlers are transfer students. If the investigator finds evidence of recruiting, the probe will be widened.
"On some of the chat rooms, we have been raked over the coals," Robin Ruh said in November. "We don't have the money to buy kids. They come here on their own and pay their own tuition."
