SAN FRANCISCO -- Barry Bonds, baseball's home run king, was

indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could

go to prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal

grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.

The indictment, culminating a four-year investigation into

steroid use by elite athletes, charged Bonds with four counts of

perjury and one of obstruction of justice. If convicted, he could

be sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison.

Shortly after the indictment was handed up, Bonds' personal

trainer, Greg Anderson, was ordered released after spending most of

the past year in prison for refusing to testify against his

longtime friend.

The 10-page indictment mainly consists of excerpts from Bonds'

December 2003 testimony before a federal grand jury investigating

the Bay Area supplements lab at the center of a steroid

distribution ring. It cites 19 occasions in which Bonds allegedly

lied under oath.

An attorney familiar with the investigation told ESPN's T.J. Quinn that the government obtained the results of positive steroids tests for Bonds during a search of BALCO facilities. The source said the positive results did not come from confidential testing conducted by Major League Baseball and the players' association. In approximately 2001, MLB conducted tests to gauge the level of substance problems among players. The government subpoenaed those records.

In August, when the 43-year-old Bonds passed Hank Aaron to

become the career home run leader, he flatly rejected any

suggestion that the milestone was stained by steroids.

"This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period," Bonds

said.

Under "Federal Rules of Criminal Procedures," Bonds does not have to surrender for fingerprinting, mug shots and a bond hearing until his initial arraignment in U.S. District Court in San

Francisco. His arraignment is scheduled for the morning of Dec. 7.

At that point, Bonds will appear before a magistrate judge and then likely be handed over to U.S. Marshals, who will conduct the booking procedures.

But while San Franciscans cheered his every swing and fans

elsewhere scorned every homer, a grand jury quietly worked behind

closed doors to put the finishing touches on the long-rumored

indictment.

Bonds still will be eligible for the Hall of Fame even if he's convicted and goes to prison, said Jack O'Connell, secretary-treasurer of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Hall of Fame voters, however, punished Mark McGwire last year when he appeared on the ballot for the first time; McGwire received 128 votes, far short of the necessary 409 needed for induction.

Bonds is by far the highest-profile figure caught up in the

steroids probe, which also ensnared track star Marion Jones. She

pleaded guilty in October to lying to federal investigators about

using steroids and faces up to six months in prison.

Bonds finished the year with 762 homers, seven more than Aaron,

and is currently a free agent. In 2001, he set the season record

with 73 home runs.

Late in the season, the San Francisco Giants told the seven-time

National League MVP they didn't want him back next year.

One of his

attorneys, John Burris, didn't know of the indictment before being

alerted by The Associated Press and said he would call Bonds to

notify him.

"I'm surprised," Burris said, "but there's been an effort to

get Barry for a long time. I'm curious what evidence they have now

they didn't have before."

Defense attorney Mike Rains said he spoke briefly with Bonds but

did not describe his reaction. At an evening news conference, he

read a statement accusing federal prosecutors of "unethical

misconduct" and declined to take questions.

"Every American should worry about a Justice Department that

doesn't know if waterboarding is torture and can't tell the

difference between prosecution on the one hand and persecution on

the other," Rains said.

He has never been identified by Major League Baseball as testing

positive for steroids.

The Giants, the players' union and even the White House called

it a sad day for baseball.

"This is a very sad day. For many years, Barry Bonds was an

important member of our team and is one of the most talented

baseball players of his era. These are serious charges. Now that

the judicial process has begun, we look forward to this matter

being resolved in a court of law," the Giants said.

Union head Donald Fehr said he was "saddened" to learn of the

indictment, but cautioned that "every defendant, including Barry

Bonds, is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless and until

such time as he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."