A property developer and amateur cyclist who used his knowledge to direct a criminal gang to conduct a series of burglaries in northern Italy has been sanctioned with a seven year ban for importing veterinary medication for use by amateur cyclists. Italy’s national anti-doping agency (NADO Italia) also announced sanctions against five other people connected to cycling, as well as sanctions against a kickboxer, a weightlifter, a bodybuilder, a retired Paralympian and three others.

Stefano Sozio, imprisoned in 2018 for directing a group of 23 criminals from Albania, Moldova and Romania to perform over 150 burglaries, has been sanctioned with a seven year ban. During an investigation between February 2017 and June 2018, police found that the group was also organising delivery of ‘Stargate’, a veterinary product containing stanozolol that is not available without a prescription, to amateur cyclists. 

Sozio had previously been brought to the attention of prosecutors in 2015, during an investigation into the supply of amphetamines and anabolic steroids from Romania to cycling. His ban will expire on 24 January 2028.

Szynaka Przemyslaw, Massimo Gammieri, Giacomo Marcinno, and Fabio Di Rino have been sanctioned with a four year bans expiring in January 2025. All are listed as unaffiliated persons, however all are understood to be connected to cycling as their names feature on the Italian cycling federation’s (FCI) list of sanctioned persons. A junior cyclist, Samuele Bonetto, has been sanctioned with a five month ban expiring on 13 March 2021. 

Kickboxer Norberto Confalonieri has been sanctioned with a three month ban expiring on 12 April. Weightlifter Salvatore Guarrera has been sanctioned with a three year ban ending on 2 December 2023. Andrea Lanfri, a former Paralympic athlete who retired in June 2019, has been sanctioned with a two month ban which expires tomorrow. Giorgio Cossu, who is affiliated to Italy’s organisation for sport and education (OPES), has been sanctioned with a three year ban that expires on 17 January 2024.

Unaffiliated athletes Davide Piacenti and Mirko Masina have been sanctioned with a three year bans. Paolo Abbondanzia, who is listed as an unaffiliated athlete but is understood to be a bodybuilder, has been sanctioned with a four year ban expiring on 21 January 2025.