WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- BALCO steroid scandal has been put to an end as the fourth and final defendant Remi Korchemny was given a year's probation on Friday.

    The Soviet-born track coach had been sued for his role in a conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs to athletes, but District Court Judge of the United States Susan Illston deemed him "a unique defendant" with "modest to minimal involvement with BALCAO (the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative)".

    Illston also ordered that Korchemny undergo random drug testing, but refused to impose a recommended 250 US dollars fine, calling it trivial, and added that "a huge fine was not appropriate either".

    Korchemny last year admitted to a misdemeanor offense of wrongly dispensing a prescription drug, modafinil.

    The BALCO case, the biggest doping scandal revealed in 2004, has shocked the whole world with involving big names and raised questions about achievements such as baseball home run records and other sports records.

    BALCO founder Victor Conte was sentenced by Illston in October to four months in prison and four months of home confinement, while Greg Anderson, baseball star Barry Bonds' trainer, was sentenced to three months in prison and three months of home confinement.

    James Valente, Conte's deputy, got three years of probation and a 3,000 dollars fine.

    All four defendants were charged February, 2004 with conspiracy, money laundering and distribution of steroids. Enditem