April 27 -- ROMERO WILL SUE (UPDATED)

BY SCOTT LAUBER

So, J.C. Romero has hired a lawyer and filed suit against both the company that manufactured the supplement that triggered his positive drug test and the retail store that sold it.

Some details: The 27-page lawsuit was filed today in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Camden County, against ErgoPharm Inc., Proviant Technologies Inc., VS Holdings Inc. (Vitamin Shoppe) and General Nutrition Centers Inc. Romero has enlisted the legal counsel of L.A.-based Howard Jacobs, Atlanta-based David Cornwell and N.J.-based Jeffrey Craig. Jacobs has represented athletes in lawsuits against supplement companies arising from contaminated nutritional supplements. Cornwell was a finalist to replace Gene Upshaw as executive director of the NFL Players' Association. Craig specializes in personal injury, product liability and employment matters.

Romero, as you know, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for androstenedione, a steroid banned by Major League Baseball. He contends that he took 6-OXO Extreme, an over-the-counter supplement purchased from a GNC in Cherry Hill, N.J., believing that the product wouldn't cause a positive test. MLB has suspended him for being "negligent" in the matter and not thoroughly checking out the product before he used it.

"Everything he was told led him to believe it was a natural product that was produced naturally," said Dominic B. Sanginiti Jr., an attorney in Craig's office who is helping to prepare the lawsuit. "Mr. Romero is looking to put this behind him but also to let everybody know that he didn't purposely take something that was banned."

Here's the statement from Romero released today by his legal team: "I purchased an over-the-counter supplement that I was told and believed would not cause me to test positive. These events have hurt me deeply and placed a cloud over my career, accomplishments and family. It is my hope that I can finally start to put this event behind me and protect the interests of others who rely on manufacturers and retailers to be honest about their products."

Still attempting to get comment from ErgoPharm, Vitamin Shoppe and GNC.

Much more on this in tomorrow's News Journal.