The names of the 10 suspended wrestlers weren't announced, but sources tell the New York Daily News that at least 14 performers were caught up in the Albany, N.Y., district attorney's investigation into illegal Internet drug sales, including some of the WWE's biggest stars.

Randy Orton, Charles Haas Jr., Adam (Edge) Copeland, Robert (Booker T) Huffman, Shane Helms, Mike Bucci, Anthony Carelli, John (Johnny Nitro) Hennigan, Darren (William Regal) Matthews, Ken (Mr. Kennedy) Anderson, Eddie (Umaga) Fatu, Shoichi Funaki, Chavo Guerrero and Sylvain Grenier were all identified as clients of Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, the site raided by Albany County and Florida law-enforcement agencies in February for distributing steroids and other prescription drugs to clients who had not been examined by doctors. The investigation is part of a probe into illegal Internet drug distribution by Albany D.A. David Soares.

The WWE said in a statement that it issued suspension notices "based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County D.A.'s office." While the organization does not normally release the names of suspended performers, "notice has been sent to all WWE performers that names of anyone who is suspended under the Wellness Policy as of November 1 will be made public."

The Daily News has also learned that three of the WWE's recently deceased stars — Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero and Brian Adams — also received steroids and other drugs from Signature, as prescribed by Florida physician Gary Brandwein, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal diversion of prescription drugs. Benoit allegedly murdered his wife and son before killing himself in June, and Guerrero died in a Minneapolis hotel in 2005 from heart disease.

Guerrero received the steroids testosterone and nandrolone, along with the estrogen-blocker anastozole — a drug commonly taken by men on steroids to prevent developing breast tissue — on Nov. 2, 2005, just 11 days before he died of heart disease.

Guerrero's nephew, Chavo Guerrero — one of the 14 wrestlers linked to the Albany probe — found Guerrero unconscious in the hotel room.

Benoit received steroids from Signature, based on a Brandwein prescription, in February of 2006.

The suspended WWE stars are among the first athletes to face discipline for their part in the nationwide Signature Pharmacy scandal, which has already led to guilty pleas from nine doctors, anti-aging clinic owners and operators. Law-enforcement sources have said they expect the names of numerous NFL and Major League Baseball athletes to emerge as well.

(c) 2007, New York Daily News.

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