Trevor Graham, the world-renowned athletics coach, has been sentenced to a year's house arrest for lying during the investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (Balco) doping scandal.

In 2003 Graham's anonymous tip sparked a huge drugs scandal, when he helped the government uncover the Balco ring. Best known for coaching Marion Jones, Antonio Pettigrew and Tim Montgomery, Graham became the catalyst to the Balco probe when he showed anti-doping officials a syringe containing traces of the then-undetectable steroid THG (tetrahydrogestrinone) known as "The Clear".

The 45-year-old must now also pay a fine of $5,000 and serve five years probation. Graham was convicted of lying by a jury earlier this year, when he told Internal Revenue Service investigators he did not know Angel Heredia, a steroid dealer.

In October 2003, federal agents staged a raid and discovered doping evidence. They later questioned Graham about Heredia, a one-time shot-putter and he received a written promise that he would receive immunity for crimes to which he confessed as long as he was truthful with the agents.

Graham said Heredia never supplied performance-enhancing drugs to athletes he trained and maintained he never had met Heredia. At the trial, taped phone conversations and a photo of the two together were produced as evidence. Athletes also testified that Graham told them to get drugs from Heredia.