The sprinter was found to have had the stimulant benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, in his system at the 2015 United States Paralympic Track and Field National Championships in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

As a consequence, Leeper’s results from the Championships were wiped from the record with the athlete forfeiting his victory in the T43-44 400 metres competition on June 21.

He has also lost the Americas record time of 47.90sec he used to triumph in the final ahead of Hunter Woodhall, who clocked 49.28.

Leeper, who won 400m silver and 200m bronze medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, is still in the frame for Rio as his year's ban was backdated to start on June 21, when his sample was taken.

The Rio Paralympics will begin in the Brazilian city on September 7.

“Benzoylecgonine is a metabolite of cocaine, a substance in the class of Stimulants prohibited under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing and the International Paralympic Committee Anti-Doping Code, both of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List,” a USADA statement said.

“It was determined that Mr Leeper’s use of cocaine was not intended to enhance performance, and in consideration of other mitigating factors, he was deemed eligible for a reduced, one-year sanction.

“Leeper’s one-year period of ineligibility began on June 21, 2015, the date of his sample collection.”

The suspension has already seen Leeper miss out on competing at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Athletics Championships in Doha, which were held in October.

It prevented him from adding to his tally of one gold and three silver medals from the 2013 edition of the event in Lyon.