Feds Officially Drop Criminal Prosecution of Baseball Star Barry Bonds

Federal prosecutors formally dropped charges against baseball player Barry Bonds. This marks the end of nearly ten years of legal uncertainty for the San Francisco Giants home run legend, who was charged with obstruction of justice in a grand jury on steroid use.

Bonds was being tried for making false statements when asked if he'd ever been given something from his personal trainer that required a self-injected syringe. Bonds didn't deny taking steroids, but said he was told they were flaxseed oil and arthritic balm.

Bonds was found guilty for his unclear answer in 2011, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals soon overturned that ruling. On Wednesday, federal prosecutors decided to drop the case.

This ruling comes as a relief to Bonds, who has been stressing through the trials for years.

"As I have said before, this outcome is something I have long wished for," Bonds said in a statement. "I am relieved, humbled and thankful for what this means for me and my family moving forward."

Bonds still holds a series of record for his unbelievable (potentially because his ability was enhanced) hitting ability. He hit the most home runs in a single season and continues to hold the record for most career home runs.

Despite his distinctions, Bonds has not been nominated into the baseball Hall of Fame. He has a controversial legacy in baseball thanks to the use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs.

This year — the third in which he's eligible — Bonds received just 36.8 percent of votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America for addition into the Hall of Fame. A player has to receive at least 75 percent of the vote to be elected.

While the charges are officially gone for Bonds, it came at a high cost to the federal government. The government spent at least $55 million on the investigation and prosecution, according to Mashable.