The Palm Beach Post in Florida featured a long interview today with John Todd Miller, who is set to begin a 18 month prison term after being nabbed on providing steroids to a 13-year old professional in-line skater.
Miller, who owned the Pasco Medical Clinic in Tampa, was heavily investigated for his links to professional wrestlers, including Eddie Guerrero and Ric Flair, and allegedly providing them enhancement substances. Miller noted that he was close friends with a number of top names, commenting, "Having a clinic that had steroids, you kind of get to meet a bunch of them."
Miller, who opened his clinic in 2001, was introduced to the late Guerrero by a doctor around the same time period. The friendship with Guerrero opened the doors for other performers to utilize the Clinic, including Ric Flair, Paul Wight, Hector Guerrero, Dan Spivey, Billy Kidman and Joe Malenko.
Miller claimed in the article that he had dinner at Flair's home numerous times and commented, "When you take a guy that's that old and you make him look good, guys are going to notice that and want to know how you did it."
The wrestlers cut off their relations with Miller after his Clinic was raided in a federal investigation in 2003. When some of the personalities were interviewed by investigators, they found out they weren't the only ones pulling a work in their chosen profession - Miller wasn't a doctor.
When Eddie Guerrero was interviewed under oath by detectives, he "assumed Miller was a doctor even though he never represented himself as one" according to the article. Hector Guerrero also commented he thought Miller was a doctor. Guerrero's brother Hector, a former pro wrestler, also said he thought Miller was a doctor. The article noted that the raid on the clinic stunned other local business owners who also believed Miller was a doctor.
"I was just surprised," former WWF and NWA wrestler Dan Spivey commented in the article, "I didn't think anything illegal was going on."
Miller responded, "I'm not a doctor. I just owned the clinic. Yes, I was trained by a physician to give injections and I did give injections when he wasn't present, but I didn't do anything that he didn't order. It was pushing the envelope but I always figured if something happened, it would be the doctor, not me. He was the one ordering everything that I was doing. You go to work, you follow directions. But I did own the office, so ... "
14 felony counts were dropped against Miller in the initial investigation against him, including running an unlicensed medical practice and possession and delivery of a controlled substance. Miller claimed in the article that the charges were dropped because the authorities' search warrants weren't secured before the raid. The Hillsborough Sheriff's office would not comment.
Miller was eventually caught by authorities after being nabbed for providing steroids for an underage professional in-line skater. Miller then turned informant on the person responsible for getting the steroids for the skater, the skater's own father. Miller, who admitted being bitter over heading to federal prison, said he is cooperating with other investigations.
WWE did not respond to the article when asked for comment.