Stefan Denifl is facing up to 10 years in jail under a fraud case relating to his doping that is now being pursued by the Austrian authorities.
He rode for two years for Aqua Blue Sport and took the now defunct Irish team's biggest wins; a stage of La Vuelta and the Tour of Austria overall.
However, he has been investigated for doping as part of a major inquiry in Austria and German.
Denifl has already been banned for four years after he admitted his doping and his results between 2014 and 2018 have now been cancelled.
Today Austrian prosecutors said they were proceeding with charges of fraud against Denifl and skier Max Hauke; the latter allegedly undergoing a blood transfusion when police burst into his room during a search.
The Austrian authorities allege Denifl fraudulently received up to €500,000 from sponsors during the period he doped.
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And they are now pursuing fraud-related charges over his receiving the money on the basis he did so fraudulently as he was doping at the time.
The charge he faces would carry a sentence of up to 10 years if he were convicted. He is accused of blood doping and using human growth hormone from 2014 to 2018.
Max Hauke is also facing similar doping-related fraud charges as is the former Groupama-FDJ rider Georg Preidler.
Denifl has been under investigation as part of Operation Aderlass, a blood doping probe based in Austria and German.
It
is examining the activities of Dr Mark Schmidt, who is based in Germany and
previously worked as a doctor with the Gerolsteiner and Milram pro cycling
teams.
Investigators
have been examining his role in helping athletes from across several sports,
including cycling and skiing, to blood dope.
Stefan Denifl was arrested in March and in June news emerged he had been convicted of doping, along with Preidler.
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