Police arrested 12 people Wednesday suspected of distributing fake Viagra and Cialis pills. During the police operation, police seized thousands of pills and packaging equipment.
After a lengthy undercover investigation, officers of the Financial Intelligence Unit searched homes, offices and businesses throughout the country. The packing facilities were discovered in a moshav in the center of the country.
Among those arrested is the owner of a Tel Aviv advertising company who is suspected of assisting in promotion. It is thought that thousands of people bought the fake pills.
In addition, there are also suspicions of extensive money laundering connected to the case, as well as tax evasion, being investigated by the Tax Authority. The police also questioned 23 other suspects.
The 12 people arrested are suspected of a list of charges, including illegal use of brand names, unauthorized distribution of medicine, recklessness and negligence, fraud, and breaking VAT and income tax laws.
They will be brought before the Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court to have their remand extended Wednesday.
Jesse Haggard still fighting case against him.
Attorneys for an alternative medicine practitioner from Arizona asked a judge in separate motions last week to dismiss the charges against him and throw out evidence gathered from wiretaps.
Jesse S. Haggard was among a dozen people indicted in Mobile on charges that they conspired to sell anabolic steroids across the country to healthy people who had no legitimate medical reason to take the drugs. But he was not tried with other defendants in a five-week trial earlier this year because he fled to Costa Rico and only recently returned to the United States to face the allegations.
Defense attorney Christ Coumanis argued in his motion that his client was a license naturopath who permitted to prescribe medicine. Applied Pharmacy Services, a compounding pharmacy in Mobile, filled steroids prescriptions from Haggard and other licensed doctors.
"Despite the best efforts of Dr. Haggard, he could not have known nor learned what the Government alleges in this case was in fact unlawful," the motion reads. "This lack of notice denies fundamental due process."
Prosecutors have not replied. But U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade rejected similar arguments made by the other defendants who stood trial in January.
Coumanis wrote that when Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, it directed the secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to issue detailed rules that physicians should adhere to when prescribing drugs.
"It should be noted, however, that no such detailed regulations have ever been enacted regarding physician standards for prescribing non-narcotic controlled substances," Coumanis wrote.
Coumanis also argued that the law enforcement authorities failed to demonstrate they had probable cause to intercept phone conversations between Haggard and the pharmacy because the information officials submitted was out of date. It also came, in part, from a "biased and hostile former employee" who was fired after being accused of stealing from the company, Coumanis wrote.
"Much of this stale information comes from untrustworthy sources that have motives to misrepresent the facts," he wrote.
Jesse S. Haggard was among a dozen people indicted in Mobile on charges that they conspired to sell anabolic steroids across the country to healthy people who had no legitimate medical reason to take the drugs. But he was not tried with other defendants in a five-week trial earlier this year because he fled to Costa Rico and only recently returned to the United States to face the allegations.
Defense attorney Christ Coumanis argued in his motion that his client was a license naturopath who permitted to prescribe medicine. Applied Pharmacy Services, a compounding pharmacy in Mobile, filled steroids prescriptions from Haggard and other licensed doctors.
"Despite the best efforts of Dr. Haggard, he could not have known nor learned what the Government alleges in this case was in fact unlawful," the motion reads. "This lack of notice denies fundamental due process."
Prosecutors have not replied. But U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade rejected similar arguments made by the other defendants who stood trial in January.
Coumanis wrote that when Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, it directed the secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare to issue detailed rules that physicians should adhere to when prescribing drugs.
"It should be noted, however, that no such detailed regulations have ever been enacted regarding physician standards for prescribing non-narcotic controlled substances," Coumanis wrote.
Coumanis also argued that the law enforcement authorities failed to demonstrate they had probable cause to intercept phone conversations between Haggard and the pharmacy because the information officials submitted was out of date. It also came, in part, from a "biased and hostile former employee" who was fired after being accused of stealing from the company, Coumanis wrote.
"Much of this stale information comes from untrustworthy sources that have motives to misrepresent the facts," he wrote.
Steroid use by Police officers a big problem on Australia's Gold Coast.
A senior lawyer, who asked not to be named, claimed human growth hormones and steroid use was prolific among some Gold Coast officers.
"You have these young men who are super fit. Some of them are using the drugs in the gym and supplying them," he claimed
Human growth hormone abuse is fuelled by a culture of "super masculinity" and the need for some young cops to "beef up" their bodies to protect them from the increasing threat of physical violence on the beat, it is claimed.
Gaven MP Alexander Douglas, a GP who has previously encountered steroid use when working in prisons, said the illegal use of the drug led to violent outbursts and irrational thinking.
"Steroids are being used by younger men and women, strangely enough, to make themselves look beautiful," Dr Douglas said.
"From the use of Botox and amount of surgery going on, people are body obsessed. There is a culture of this super masculinity. But I think some of it (for police officers) is driven by legitimate concerns. On the Gold Coast, policing is a lot different to Brisbane. People will have a go at them."
Dr Douglas, who has treated some Gold Coast officers for injuries, said police were working in a tough physical environment.
"You have these young men who are super fit. Some of them are using the drugs in the gym and supplying them," he claimed
Human growth hormone abuse is fuelled by a culture of "super masculinity" and the need for some young cops to "beef up" their bodies to protect them from the increasing threat of physical violence on the beat, it is claimed.
Gaven MP Alexander Douglas, a GP who has previously encountered steroid use when working in prisons, said the illegal use of the drug led to violent outbursts and irrational thinking.
"Steroids are being used by younger men and women, strangely enough, to make themselves look beautiful," Dr Douglas said.
"From the use of Botox and amount of surgery going on, people are body obsessed. There is a culture of this super masculinity. But I think some of it (for police officers) is driven by legitimate concerns. On the Gold Coast, policing is a lot different to Brisbane. People will have a go at them."
Dr Douglas, who has treated some Gold Coast officers for injuries, said police were working in a tough physical environment.
More info on Maryland gym's controlled steroid delivery.
A 30-year-old fitness studio owner has been charged with drug possession this week after city police and federal agents allegedly found syringes and suspected steroids inside a black bag he was carrying, according to police.
Mark Eugene Miller, owner of Mark Miller Fitness in the 900 block of South Salisbury Boulevard, was placing the bag in his truck when Salisbury Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized the bag, according to charging documents.
ICE, an investigative agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that enforces immigration and customs laws, alerted city police to two alleged packages, one from Greece and one from Romania, Miller was expecting. His arrest came at the end of a weeklong investigation by city and federal investigators, according to Salisbury police.
"Customs gets involved in anything illegal from overseas," said Lt. Rob Kemp, a spokesman for the Salisbury Police Department.
Police said they found more than 300 prescription steroids, including Anapolon, Oxandrolone and Stanoplex, according to court documents. Investigators also found several syringes inside the bag.
Following the search, police took Miller into custody and charged him with multiple counts of possessing a controlled dangerous substance. The fitness center owner was released on his own recognizance the same day, according to court records.
Miller did not return phone calls for comment from The Daily Times on Friday.
Possession of a controlled dangerous substance is a misdemeanor in Maryland and carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
A Wicomico County District Court hearing for Miller has been scheduled for early April. However, the case could be transferred to Circuit Court.
Mark Eugene Miller, owner of Mark Miller Fitness in the 900 block of South Salisbury Boulevard, was placing the bag in his truck when Salisbury Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized the bag, according to charging documents.
ICE, an investigative agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that enforces immigration and customs laws, alerted city police to two alleged packages, one from Greece and one from Romania, Miller was expecting. His arrest came at the end of a weeklong investigation by city and federal investigators, according to Salisbury police.
"Customs gets involved in anything illegal from overseas," said Lt. Rob Kemp, a spokesman for the Salisbury Police Department.
Police said they found more than 300 prescription steroids, including Anapolon, Oxandrolone and Stanoplex, according to court documents. Investigators also found several syringes inside the bag.
Following the search, police took Miller into custody and charged him with multiple counts of possessing a controlled dangerous substance. The fitness center owner was released on his own recognizance the same day, according to court records.
Miller did not return phone calls for comment from The Daily Times on Friday.
Possession of a controlled dangerous substance is a misdemeanor in Maryland and carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.
A Wicomico County District Court hearing for Miller has been scheduled for early April. However, the case could be transferred to Circuit Court.
Hushmail - something smells fishy.
Hushmail disabled my blog's email addy "SBC@Hushmail.com" today.
I've asked them why and look forward to their response.
Steroids. com claims to be under new ownership ?
Here's today's Press Release :-
Effective today, Steroids.com has gone live under new ownership with the primary goal to educate youths about the dangers of steroid abuse. Backed by the legal team at Womack & Associates of Houston, Texas, Steroids. com aims to become the de-facto informational website related to all things steroids.
Steroids. com has also partnered with the Taylor Hooton Foundation (www.taylorhooton. org) to provide an educational resource network to deter teenagers and young adults from using illegal steroids.
Steroids.com launches with an encyclopedic library of factual information about steroids, including:
Side effects and dangers of Anabolic Steroids.
In-depth overviews of why and how these drugs are taken and obtained.
The ethical and peer pressure aspects of Steroids.
Steroid use in schools and sports.
The history of Anabolic Steroids.
How to spot a Steroid user.
How to talk to your child about Steroids.
Steroids. com welcomes and invites media attention and inquiry and wishes to partner with all domestic media outlets to spread the word about the dangerous and harmful consequences of steroid abuse.
Effective today, Steroids.com has gone live under new ownership with the primary goal to educate youths about the dangers of steroid abuse. Backed by the legal team at Womack & Associates of Houston, Texas, Steroids. com aims to become the de-facto informational website related to all things steroids.
Steroids. com has also partnered with the Taylor Hooton Foundation (www.taylorhooton. org) to provide an educational resource network to deter teenagers and young adults from using illegal steroids.
Steroids.com launches with an encyclopedic library of factual information about steroids, including:
Side effects and dangers of Anabolic Steroids.
In-depth overviews of why and how these drugs are taken and obtained.
The ethical and peer pressure aspects of Steroids.
Steroid use in schools and sports.
The history of Anabolic Steroids.
How to spot a Steroid user.
How to talk to your child about Steroids.
Steroids. com welcomes and invites media attention and inquiry and wishes to partner with all domestic media outlets to spread the word about the dangerous and harmful consequences of steroid abuse.
Gym in Maryland gets controlled steroid delivery.
A local fitness center has been busted for illegal steroids.
On Wednesday, Salisbury Police and federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) executed a search and seizure warrant at Mark Miller Fitness.
The warrant was obtained after a report that the owner of the business, Mark Miller, had illegal steroids.
During the search officers found a package addressed to the suspect that contained more of the contraband. Miller was arrested and charged with six counts of Possession of Schedule III narcotic.
Former Canby officer sentenced to 120 days in jail.
Former Canby Police officer Jason D. Deason was sentenced Thursday to 120 days in jail and two years’ probation for official misconduct and illegal steroid use.
The sentence was handed down by Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Thom.
Deason pleaded guilty Feb. 10 to a charge of possessing a controlled substance and two counts of first-degree official misconduct for buying the drugs while on duty and in uniform.
After serving 45 days, he will be eligible for release to serve the remainder of his time under home confinement.
As part of his plea deal, Deason agreed to forfeit his state police certification.
Deason apologized and expressed his remorse, said his attorney, Leonard J. Kovac Jr.
“He has been consistent in that regard ever since thisGot a News Tip? case started in late 2008,” Kovac said. “He explained to judge what he has been doing since, which includes putting together a plan to reach out to high school athletes and educate them like in a lecture series on the dangers of the steroid use.
“We also spent quite a lot of time documenting the healthy and loving support group he has around him,” Kovac said.
About 15 people attended the sentencing in support of Deason, including family friends and co-workers.
A Canby Police officer since 1999, Deason resigned in July 2008 during an FBI investigation of his alleged steroid use.
The department’s failure to properly investigate complaints about Deason led to an internal investigation and the resignation of Chief Greg Kroeplin.
One of his suppliers, Brian C. Jackson, was sentenced last year to 30 days in jail and two years probation after pleading guilty to delivery of a controlled substance. Jackson is a former strength and condition coach for the Oregon City High school girls basketball team.
William J. Traverso of Canby, accused of being one of Deason’s suppliers, will go on trial March 30 on theft and unlawful possession of steroids charges.
The sentence was handed down by Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Thom.
Deason pleaded guilty Feb. 10 to a charge of possessing a controlled substance and two counts of first-degree official misconduct for buying the drugs while on duty and in uniform.
After serving 45 days, he will be eligible for release to serve the remainder of his time under home confinement.
As part of his plea deal, Deason agreed to forfeit his state police certification.
Deason apologized and expressed his remorse, said his attorney, Leonard J. Kovac Jr.
“He has been consistent in that regard ever since thisGot a News Tip? case started in late 2008,” Kovac said. “He explained to judge what he has been doing since, which includes putting together a plan to reach out to high school athletes and educate them like in a lecture series on the dangers of the steroid use.
“We also spent quite a lot of time documenting the healthy and loving support group he has around him,” Kovac said.
About 15 people attended the sentencing in support of Deason, including family friends and co-workers.
A Canby Police officer since 1999, Deason resigned in July 2008 during an FBI investigation of his alleged steroid use.
The department’s failure to properly investigate complaints about Deason led to an internal investigation and the resignation of Chief Greg Kroeplin.
One of his suppliers, Brian C. Jackson, was sentenced last year to 30 days in jail and two years probation after pleading guilty to delivery of a controlled substance. Jackson is a former strength and condition coach for the Oregon City High school girls basketball team.
William J. Traverso of Canby, accused of being one of Deason’s suppliers, will go on trial March 30 on theft and unlawful possession of steroids charges.
Depressed ex-steroid user dies from undetermined cause.
A former weightlifter tried to kill himself by dousing himself in petrol on a garage forecourt and asking people to set light to him, an inquest heard.
Darren Mulrooney, who suffered from manic depression, died in his sleep months later, Bolton Coroner’s Court heard.
The 42-year-old grabbed a petrol nozzle from a driver before pouring fuel over himself, at the Esso garage in Wigan Road, Deane, in January last year.
Friend Anthony Hinegan told the inquest: “He went across the road, snatched the petrol nozzle off someone and poured it all over himself. It must have been traumatic for the people there.”
The inquest heard Mr Mulrooney, the youngest of three children, worked as a joiner and a hod carrier after he left school.
His father, Frank, said his son had been a keen weightlifter, but when he was aged 22, he discovered his son had been taking steroids.
Mr Mulrooney said his son began suffering from depression. The 15-stone weightlifter stopped going to the gym and his weight reached 21 stone.
He was treated for bipolar disorder and was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital 28 times between 1993 and 2009.
Mr Mulrooney was found dead after falling asleep in a neighbour’s flat, in Wigan Road, Deane, on August 17, last year. Pathologists could not determine a cause of death but said it was likely he suffered a sudden heart arrhythmia.
Recording an open verdict, deputy coroner Alan Walsh said Mr Mulrooney seemed to have deteriorated from the moment he stopped taking steroids.
Darren Mulrooney, who suffered from manic depression, died in his sleep months later, Bolton Coroner’s Court heard.
The 42-year-old grabbed a petrol nozzle from a driver before pouring fuel over himself, at the Esso garage in Wigan Road, Deane, in January last year.
Friend Anthony Hinegan told the inquest: “He went across the road, snatched the petrol nozzle off someone and poured it all over himself. It must have been traumatic for the people there.”
The inquest heard Mr Mulrooney, the youngest of three children, worked as a joiner and a hod carrier after he left school.
His father, Frank, said his son had been a keen weightlifter, but when he was aged 22, he discovered his son had been taking steroids.
Mr Mulrooney said his son began suffering from depression. The 15-stone weightlifter stopped going to the gym and his weight reached 21 stone.
He was treated for bipolar disorder and was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital 28 times between 1993 and 2009.
Mr Mulrooney was found dead after falling asleep in a neighbour’s flat, in Wigan Road, Deane, on August 17, last year. Pathologists could not determine a cause of death but said it was likely he suffered a sudden heart arrhythmia.
Recording an open verdict, deputy coroner Alan Walsh said Mr Mulrooney seemed to have deteriorated from the moment he stopped taking steroids.
BodyBuilding.com Donates $10,000 To Red Cross Haiti Relief.
A local company turned to its employees and customers to help the people of Haiti.
On Tuesday, www.BodyBuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca presented the Red Cross with a donation of $10,000. DeLuca is gratified to have raised so much money and ranks the moment up there as one of the best for his company.
"Today is definitely one of the great days of being at www.BodyBuilding.com being able to give a check for $10,000 to the Red Cross made a big difference knowing that we did something great. And knowing that we're helping somebody really felt really good," said DeLuca.
"To get a donation of this size unsolicited and unexpected for such a relief effort as Haiti, it's unprecedented, and it's very heart-warming to see this kind of a thing happen," said Red Cross Development Director Christopher Davis.
About 60 percent of the money raised came from customers who selected to donate their free gifts to the Haiti relief and recovery efforts, while employees accounted for the other 40 percent. That's a figure www.BodyBuilding.com is particularly proud of and thankful for.
On Tuesday, www.BodyBuilding.com CEO Ryan DeLuca presented the Red Cross with a donation of $10,000. DeLuca is gratified to have raised so much money and ranks the moment up there as one of the best for his company.
"Today is definitely one of the great days of being at www.BodyBuilding.com being able to give a check for $10,000 to the Red Cross made a big difference knowing that we did something great. And knowing that we're helping somebody really felt really good," said DeLuca.
"To get a donation of this size unsolicited and unexpected for such a relief effort as Haiti, it's unprecedented, and it's very heart-warming to see this kind of a thing happen," said Red Cross Development Director Christopher Davis.
About 60 percent of the money raised came from customers who selected to donate their free gifts to the Haiti relief and recovery efforts, while employees accounted for the other 40 percent. That's a figure www.BodyBuilding.com is particularly proud of and thankful for.
Granville weightlifter through first surgery.
A Granville man critically injured in a weightlifting accident Monday has successfully undergone a five-hour surgery to begin reconstructing his face, completing yet another small step on his journey toward recovery, his father said Thursday.
Chris Harmon, 20, dropped a 250-pound weight on his face Monday while on an incline press at the Advantage Club in Newark, where he had just broken his previous bench press record of more than 430 pounds.
The weight slipped from his hands and destroyed his cheekbones, nose and jaw, severing two arteries and resulting in a large amount of blood loss. Harmon faces several reconstructive surgeries in forthcoming days, his father said, but on Thursday afternoon had pulled through the first of those.
"He made it through five hours of surgery, and he's doing great. So now he's got to recover," Scott said.
Chris remains in critical but stable condition and on life support, and has not been conscious since the time of the accident, Scott said. Thursday's surgery had been delayed twice because of fluid filling his lungs.
And though he knows the road is long and the situation dire, Scott -- running on precious little sleep since Monday -- remains optimistic.
"We're not out of the woods yet, but we've gone through some serious, serious issues and we've pulled through," he said Thursday.
Thursday's surgery involved rebuilding Chris' right eye socket, the right side of his skull, jaw and both cheek bones. There is a high danger of infection, and Chris' face will continue to swell for the next few days before it begins to get better, Scott said.
The family is discouraging visitation at this point because of the high risk of infection and fragility of Chris' condition; however, a flood of support and prayers continues to come in through phone calls, e-mails and a Facebook page named "Pray for Chris Harmon," whose members reached nearly 2,000 Thursday afternoon.
A trust fund in Chris' name has been set up and is available at any Chase Bank to help with medical expenses.
Chris Harmon, 20, dropped a 250-pound weight on his face Monday while on an incline press at the Advantage Club in Newark, where he had just broken his previous bench press record of more than 430 pounds.
The weight slipped from his hands and destroyed his cheekbones, nose and jaw, severing two arteries and resulting in a large amount of blood loss. Harmon faces several reconstructive surgeries in forthcoming days, his father said, but on Thursday afternoon had pulled through the first of those.
"He made it through five hours of surgery, and he's doing great. So now he's got to recover," Scott said.
Chris remains in critical but stable condition and on life support, and has not been conscious since the time of the accident, Scott said. Thursday's surgery had been delayed twice because of fluid filling his lungs.
And though he knows the road is long and the situation dire, Scott -- running on precious little sleep since Monday -- remains optimistic.
"We're not out of the woods yet, but we've gone through some serious, serious issues and we've pulled through," he said Thursday.
Thursday's surgery involved rebuilding Chris' right eye socket, the right side of his skull, jaw and both cheek bones. There is a high danger of infection, and Chris' face will continue to swell for the next few days before it begins to get better, Scott said.
The family is discouraging visitation at this point because of the high risk of infection and fragility of Chris' condition; however, a flood of support and prayers continues to come in through phone calls, e-mails and a Facebook page named "Pray for Chris Harmon," whose members reached nearly 2,000 Thursday afternoon.
A trust fund in Chris' name has been set up and is available at any Chase Bank to help with medical expenses.
Expert: No urine test for HGH anytime soon.
In a blow to Major League Baseball's and the National Football League's goal to find a urine test for human growth hormone, the anti-doping expert funded by the leagues to develop it told Newsday Wednesday that it won't be possible through a conventional test.
"Our work has not shown that we are going to be able to detect growth hormone in urine," said Dr. Don Catlin.
"Our work has not shown that we are going to be able to detect growth hormone in urine," said Dr. Don Catlin.
Bradenton doc illegally obtained steroids.
A Bradenton doctor used another physician’s identification to illegally obtain the anabolic steroid testosterone, according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office report.
Bradenton chiropractor David Stuart Zamikoff, 39, is accused of using another doctor’s Drug Enforcement Administration clearance number to enter a prescription request with a Ft. Lauderdale-area pharmacy, then signing off for the testosterone using a signature stamp of a second doctor.
Both doctors told detectives Zamikoff did not have permission to use their identification to obtain the drugs. One of the witnesses told detectives he had given Zamikoff a prescription for testosterone in 2008 but not since. The pharmacy’s records showed Zamikoff received seven such shipments of testosterone, according to the sheriff’s report.
Florida law classifies testosterone as a Schedule III narcotic, and as an anabolic steroid that has known medical uses. If misused, it can cause physical damage.
On Monday, sheriff’s detectives raided Zamikoff’s office, Natural Healing Arts, 2215 59th St. W., and found two bottles of testosterone with labels from the pharmacy, as well as a credit card used to purchase the drug, the sheriff’s report stated.
Detectives arrested Zamikoff on Monday on a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. He has since been released from the Manatee County jail on $1,000 bond. Sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow said the investigation is ongoing, and more charges are possible in the case.
Zamikoff has been a licensed chiropractor in Florida since 2000, but his license was set to expire next month, according to Florida Department of Health records. He could not be reached for comment.
Bradenton chiropractor David Stuart Zamikoff, 39, is accused of using another doctor’s Drug Enforcement Administration clearance number to enter a prescription request with a Ft. Lauderdale-area pharmacy, then signing off for the testosterone using a signature stamp of a second doctor.
Both doctors told detectives Zamikoff did not have permission to use their identification to obtain the drugs. One of the witnesses told detectives he had given Zamikoff a prescription for testosterone in 2008 but not since. The pharmacy’s records showed Zamikoff received seven such shipments of testosterone, according to the sheriff’s report.
Florida law classifies testosterone as a Schedule III narcotic, and as an anabolic steroid that has known medical uses. If misused, it can cause physical damage.
On Monday, sheriff’s detectives raided Zamikoff’s office, Natural Healing Arts, 2215 59th St. W., and found two bottles of testosterone with labels from the pharmacy, as well as a credit card used to purchase the drug, the sheriff’s report stated.
Detectives arrested Zamikoff on Monday on a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud. He has since been released from the Manatee County jail on $1,000 bond. Sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow said the investigation is ongoing, and more charges are possible in the case.
Zamikoff has been a licensed chiropractor in Florida since 2000, but his license was set to expire next month, according to Florida Department of Health records. He could not be reached for comment.
Man On Life-Support After Weightlifting Accident.
A college student and competitive bodybuilder was on life-support Tuesday night after a weightlifting accident.
Chris Harmon, 20, of Granville has years of experience in weight training. On Monday he was at the gym, lifting hundreds of pounds, when the bar slipped 10TV's Glenn McEntyre reported.
Those who know Harmon describe him as a young man of exceptional focus and determination.
"Lifting weights and bodybuilding's always been his passion," said Harmon's father Scott Harmon.
On Monday, Harmon broke a personal record, bench-pressing more than 400 pounds. He was following that up with a 250-pound incline bench press when the bar slipped.
"And somehow the bar slipped from his hands and fell about two and a half feet and struck him across the face," Scott Harmon said.
The impact shattered his cheekbones and jaw, crushed an eye socket and severed two arteries, McEntyre reported.
Doctors told Harmon's parents there was some good news.
"He said if the bar would have hit him that much higher, on the head, he would have been paraplegic and been brain-dead basically," Scott Harmon said.
Harmon's future is still uncertain, McEntyre reported.
He has already undergone two surgeries, with more to come. In the last 24 hours, his father said he was conscious for only a brief moment.
"I was sitting there stroking his head. And he grabbed my hand, and he looked at me and they gave him some medicine and made him go back to sleep," Scott Harmon said.
As experienced a weight-trainer as Harmon is, his father said his mistake was lifting without someone to spot him.
"Because it only takes a split second. In one second he dropped that weight and his life is forever changed," Scott Harmon said.
Harmon's father said he wants to thank those who helped his son immediately after the accident.
He does not know if it was the medics or gym staff, but someone placed Harmon face down, rather than on his back. Doctors said that prevented his lungs from filling with blood, and likely saved his life, McEntyre reported.
The owner of the Advantage Club Gym did not want to comment, McEntyre reported.
Chris Harmon, 20, of Granville has years of experience in weight training. On Monday he was at the gym, lifting hundreds of pounds, when the bar slipped 10TV's Glenn McEntyre reported.
Those who know Harmon describe him as a young man of exceptional focus and determination.
"Lifting weights and bodybuilding's always been his passion," said Harmon's father Scott Harmon.
On Monday, Harmon broke a personal record, bench-pressing more than 400 pounds. He was following that up with a 250-pound incline bench press when the bar slipped.
"And somehow the bar slipped from his hands and fell about two and a half feet and struck him across the face," Scott Harmon said.
The impact shattered his cheekbones and jaw, crushed an eye socket and severed two arteries, McEntyre reported.
Doctors told Harmon's parents there was some good news.
"He said if the bar would have hit him that much higher, on the head, he would have been paraplegic and been brain-dead basically," Scott Harmon said.
Harmon's future is still uncertain, McEntyre reported.
He has already undergone two surgeries, with more to come. In the last 24 hours, his father said he was conscious for only a brief moment.
"I was sitting there stroking his head. And he grabbed my hand, and he looked at me and they gave him some medicine and made him go back to sleep," Scott Harmon said.
As experienced a weight-trainer as Harmon is, his father said his mistake was lifting without someone to spot him.
"Because it only takes a split second. In one second he dropped that weight and his life is forever changed," Scott Harmon said.
Harmon's father said he wants to thank those who helped his son immediately after the accident.
He does not know if it was the medics or gym staff, but someone placed Harmon face down, rather than on his back. Doctors said that prevented his lungs from filling with blood, and likely saved his life, McEntyre reported.
The owner of the Advantage Club Gym did not want to comment, McEntyre reported.
Canadian's Steroids charges dropped over illegal police detention.
Charges against an accused steroids dealer have been dropped after a judge ruled he was illegally detained by police.
Vincent Gemmiti, 34, of Burlington faced seven counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking after police seized 10,000 steroid pills and other drugs with an estimated street value of $60,000 in November 2007.
But all charges were recently dismissed because Gemmiti wasn’t told why he was being investigated or given the chance to call a lawyer.
Gemmiti was linked to one of the largest steroids cases in Canada — the April 2008 discovery of $2 million in steroids and counterfeit prescription drugs at a house and a storage unit in Kitchener.
Waterloo Regional Police stumbled on Gemmiti while investigating a complaint about a suspected drunk driver.
He was questioned in the driveway of a house on Black Cherry Drive in Waterloo, but there was no smell of alcohol or other signs of impairment.
Officers were suspicious of his behaviour, however, and didn’t immediately let him go.
Meanwhile, they got information over their radio that Gemmiti faced steroid trafficking charges in New Brunswick, and asked him if he had any drugs with him.
When he was allowed to leave a few minutes later, Gemmiti was followed by surveillance officers.
Police watched him go to a drugstore, pace outside while talking on his cellphone and eventually leave the store with a box.
Gemmiti then called a cab, got in it with the box and returned to the house on Black Cherry Drive where he had been questioned.
Police arrested Gemmiti and found steroids — which speed muscle growth and are used for performance enhancement in bodybuilding and other sports — in the box.
Only then was he advised of his rights.
Justice Gerry Taylor ruled it was a “significant, although not an egregious” violation of Gemmiti’s constitutional rights when he was briefly detained even though police had no grounds to believe he was impaired.
He said Gemmiti should have been told and given the opportunity to call a lawyer when police continued to hold him because of their suspicions about steroids.
As a result, Taylor excluded the seized drugs as evidence and the prosecution was left with no case against him.
Gemmiti was arrested at the home of Fernando Reis, 48, a self-taught chemist who ran a booming business — Azorian World Order — selling steroids and counterfeit prescription drugs online and to health and nutrition businesses.
Reis used the profits from his illegal drug operation to buy five houses, two of which were forfeited as the proceeds of crime.
Arrested several months after Gemmiti, he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of trafficking and importing drugs, and was sentenced last year to the equivalent of 22 months in jail.
Vincent Gemmiti, 34, of Burlington faced seven counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking after police seized 10,000 steroid pills and other drugs with an estimated street value of $60,000 in November 2007.
But all charges were recently dismissed because Gemmiti wasn’t told why he was being investigated or given the chance to call a lawyer.
Gemmiti was linked to one of the largest steroids cases in Canada — the April 2008 discovery of $2 million in steroids and counterfeit prescription drugs at a house and a storage unit in Kitchener.
Waterloo Regional Police stumbled on Gemmiti while investigating a complaint about a suspected drunk driver.
He was questioned in the driveway of a house on Black Cherry Drive in Waterloo, but there was no smell of alcohol or other signs of impairment.
Officers were suspicious of his behaviour, however, and didn’t immediately let him go.
Meanwhile, they got information over their radio that Gemmiti faced steroid trafficking charges in New Brunswick, and asked him if he had any drugs with him.
When he was allowed to leave a few minutes later, Gemmiti was followed by surveillance officers.
Police watched him go to a drugstore, pace outside while talking on his cellphone and eventually leave the store with a box.
Gemmiti then called a cab, got in it with the box and returned to the house on Black Cherry Drive where he had been questioned.
Police arrested Gemmiti and found steroids — which speed muscle growth and are used for performance enhancement in bodybuilding and other sports — in the box.
Only then was he advised of his rights.
Justice Gerry Taylor ruled it was a “significant, although not an egregious” violation of Gemmiti’s constitutional rights when he was briefly detained even though police had no grounds to believe he was impaired.
He said Gemmiti should have been told and given the opportunity to call a lawyer when police continued to hold him because of their suspicions about steroids.
As a result, Taylor excluded the seized drugs as evidence and the prosecution was left with no case against him.
Gemmiti was arrested at the home of Fernando Reis, 48, a self-taught chemist who ran a booming business — Azorian World Order — selling steroids and counterfeit prescription drugs online and to health and nutrition businesses.
Reis used the profits from his illegal drug operation to buy five houses, two of which were forfeited as the proceeds of crime.
Arrested several months after Gemmiti, he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of trafficking and importing drugs, and was sentenced last year to the equivalent of 22 months in jail.
Australian Body builder pleads guilty to steroids possession.
A north Queensland body builder has been ordered to undertake a drug diversion program after several vials of steroids were found in his Mackay home.
Ross Thomas Butcher pleaded guilty in the Mackay Magistrates Court this morning to one charge of possession of dangerous drugs.
The court heard police found five vials of drugs, including testosterone and nandrolone.
No conviction was recorded.
Ross Thomas Butcher pleaded guilty in the Mackay Magistrates Court this morning to one charge of possession of dangerous drugs.
The court heard police found five vials of drugs, including testosterone and nandrolone.
No conviction was recorded.
Let Olympians take drugs, says ethics scientist :-)
A SCOTS sports scientist has caused a storm in the middle of the Winter Olympics by calling for performance enhancing drugs to be legalised.
Professor Andy Miah, Chair in Ethics and Emerging Technologies at the University of the West of Scotland, believes allowing steroid use would mean attention could be focused on managing the health risks they pose.
He said: “We need to recognise that enhancements are becoming more prevalent and sport will soon need to embrace them more fully.”
But UK Anti-Doping, which ensures sports bodies comply with the World Anti-Doping Code, dismissed his claims, insisting: “Doping is cheating.”
Moral questions should “disappear”
More than 30 athletes were banned from the Vancouver Olympics for breaking anti-doping rules.
Prof Miah, who lectures at the UWS, claims he wants drugs to be permitted so more track and field records can be broken.
He said: “While there may be widespread support for cleansing sport of doping, we should consider why we spend time prohibiting performance enhancement in sports when what we ask athletes to do is break the known limits of human capability.
“This is what elite sports require, so athletes should be permitted the use of whatever means are available to them to optimise the chance of this taking place.”
Writing from Vancouver, where he chaired a drugs debate at the weekend, he called for moral questions to “disappear.”
He said: “Athletes are technological beings.
“Their performances are already lab-generated, with or without doping.
“Some technologies we like and consider valuable, like treadmills or hypoxic chambers.
“Others, we think are fiendish, like steroids.
“However, if only we made steroids legal, that moral judgment would disappear and we could focus on managing the health risks they pose, rather than rushing simply to condemn athletes for using them.
“Overall, we need to recognise that enhancements are becoming more prevalent and sport will soon need to embrace them more fully.”
Professor Andy Miah, Chair in Ethics and Emerging Technologies at the University of the West of Scotland, believes allowing steroid use would mean attention could be focused on managing the health risks they pose.
He said: “We need to recognise that enhancements are becoming more prevalent and sport will soon need to embrace them more fully.”
But UK Anti-Doping, which ensures sports bodies comply with the World Anti-Doping Code, dismissed his claims, insisting: “Doping is cheating.”
Moral questions should “disappear”
More than 30 athletes were banned from the Vancouver Olympics for breaking anti-doping rules.
Prof Miah, who lectures at the UWS, claims he wants drugs to be permitted so more track and field records can be broken.
He said: “While there may be widespread support for cleansing sport of doping, we should consider why we spend time prohibiting performance enhancement in sports when what we ask athletes to do is break the known limits of human capability.
“This is what elite sports require, so athletes should be permitted the use of whatever means are available to them to optimise the chance of this taking place.”
Writing from Vancouver, where he chaired a drugs debate at the weekend, he called for moral questions to “disappear.”
He said: “Athletes are technological beings.
“Their performances are already lab-generated, with or without doping.
“Some technologies we like and consider valuable, like treadmills or hypoxic chambers.
“Others, we think are fiendish, like steroids.
“However, if only we made steroids legal, that moral judgment would disappear and we could focus on managing the health risks they pose, rather than rushing simply to condemn athletes for using them.
“Overall, we need to recognise that enhancements are becoming more prevalent and sport will soon need to embrace them more fully.”
Basketball player claims he's just a dumb supplement junkie and NOT a cheat :-)
Juan Dixon said he made a mistake that led to his positive test for the steroid nandrolone and expects to be cleared to return to his Spanish professional team soon.
"I'm a supplement junkie," Dixon said on Sunday at the Petersen Events Center, where he was watching his younger brother, Jermaine, and the University of Pittsburgh play Villanova. "I like to try different things and I made the mistake of not doing the research and making sure it was legal."
But the former Maryland guard said the notion that he was intentionally taking steroids is laughable.
"Steroids? C'mon," he said. "I was 145 pounds in high school, 160 in college and I'm up to maybe 175 now. Look at me. Be serious. People can say whatever they want, but I've played the same way my whole life."
Dixon, who was suspended indefinitely by FIBA after the positive test, said he will have a B sample test on Monday and expects to receive the results of that within the next week.
"If it's OK, I should be good to go," he said.
"I'm a supplement junkie," Dixon said on Sunday at the Petersen Events Center, where he was watching his younger brother, Jermaine, and the University of Pittsburgh play Villanova. "I like to try different things and I made the mistake of not doing the research and making sure it was legal."
But the former Maryland guard said the notion that he was intentionally taking steroids is laughable.
"Steroids? C'mon," he said. "I was 145 pounds in high school, 160 in college and I'm up to maybe 175 now. Look at me. Be serious. People can say whatever they want, but I've played the same way my whole life."
Dixon, who was suspended indefinitely by FIBA after the positive test, said he will have a B sample test on Monday and expects to receive the results of that within the next week.
"If it's OK, I should be good to go," he said.
British Rugby player admits to HGH use.
Terry Newton issued this statement via Hattons Solicitors:
"I can confirm that following a test by UK Anti-Doping on November 24 2009 I received notification of a positive test for a self-administered growth hormone on February 17, 2010. I have formally accepted via my solicitors the findings of the UKAD and consequent punishment that I will receive.
"I wish to formally apologise to my family, friends, colleagues and staff at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, the club's supporters and the game of rugby league.
"I would like to thank the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats for their understanding of the position at this time. Whilst they are extremely upset at my actions, they have been very professional in their handling of the situation.
"I have made a grave error of judgment in taking a banned substance and hope that, if nothing else, my stupidity will be a warning to any other professional in any sport of the consequences of doing so. I support the work done by the Rugby Football League in association with the World Anti Doping Association.
"I would ask that my privacy be respected at this time which obviously is distressing for my family and I."
"I can confirm that following a test by UK Anti-Doping on November 24 2009 I received notification of a positive test for a self-administered growth hormone on February 17, 2010. I have formally accepted via my solicitors the findings of the UKAD and consequent punishment that I will receive.
"I wish to formally apologise to my family, friends, colleagues and staff at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, the club's supporters and the game of rugby league.
"I would like to thank the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats for their understanding of the position at this time. Whilst they are extremely upset at my actions, they have been very professional in their handling of the situation.
"I have made a grave error of judgment in taking a banned substance and hope that, if nothing else, my stupidity will be a warning to any other professional in any sport of the consequences of doing so. I support the work done by the Rugby Football League in association with the World Anti Doping Association.
"I would ask that my privacy be respected at this time which obviously is distressing for my family and I."
Steroid and Valium source busted in UK.
Police have uncovered £100,000-worth of prescription drugs during a raid on a family home.
The haul has increased concerns about the thriving market for these types of drugs in Sunderland.
Thousands of steroids and Valium tablets – which can fetch up to £1 each – have now been taken off the streets thanks to the police operation.
Officers raided the property, in Hylton Road, Millfield, after concerned members of the community tipped off police.
Officers found the drugs and arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug with intent to supply. He has been released on police bail pending inquiries.
Miami man jailed for nearly six years over supplying counterfeit HGH.
A onetime prescription drug wholesaler has been sentenced to nearly six years behind bars after being convicted of illegally shipping human growth hormones from California to Florida.
Arnesto Segredo, 43, of Miami, was found guilty in August of conspiring to divert prescription drugs Serostim and Nutropin AQ, and causing the diversion of these drugs in interstate commerce.
Segredo had hundreds of boxes of the drugs shipped to him from 2000 through 2002. At the time, he operated Life Extension Institute, an unlicensed Miami-based prescription drug wholesaler. He later operated Genendo Purchasing Organization, a licensed Miami-based prescription drug wholesaler.
Serostim is an injectable drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of AIDS-wasting syndrome in HIV-infected patients. Nutropin AQ is an injectable drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency, including children with short stature.
According to prosecutors, Segredo received a significant portion of Serostim from AIDS patients in California who obtained it from the state’s Medicaid program.
According to evidence presented in court, the Nutropin AQ that he distributed was counterfeit and harmed one child.
Story from BizJournals. com
Arnesto Segredo, a former prescription drug wholesaler, from Miami, was sentenced to almost six years in prison for conspiring to divert human growth hormones in interstate commerce.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the charges against Segredo, 43, stemmed from causing suppliers in California, not licensed for wholesale distribution of prescription drugs in California, to ship him hundreds of boxes of Serostim, and some Nutropin AQ, from 2000 through the end of 2002.
Segredo operated Life Extension Institute, a Miami-based prescription drug wholesaler not licensed to distribute drugs in Florida. He later operated Genendo Purchasing Organization, which obtained a Florida license in 2001.
Segredo, convicted of two felony counts, was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Evidence showed that the Nutropin AQ distributed by Segredo was counterfeit, the U.S. Attorney's office. The counterfeit Nutropin ultimately caused harm to a child, prosecutors charged.
Serostim is an injectable drug approved for treatment of HIV/AIDS patients. Nutropin AQ is an injectable drug used to treat growth hormone deficiency, including children.
Story from the Miami Herald .com
Arnesto Segredo, 43, of Miami, was found guilty in August of conspiring to divert prescription drugs Serostim and Nutropin AQ, and causing the diversion of these drugs in interstate commerce.
Segredo had hundreds of boxes of the drugs shipped to him from 2000 through 2002. At the time, he operated Life Extension Institute, an unlicensed Miami-based prescription drug wholesaler. He later operated Genendo Purchasing Organization, a licensed Miami-based prescription drug wholesaler.
Serostim is an injectable drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of AIDS-wasting syndrome in HIV-infected patients. Nutropin AQ is an injectable drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency, including children with short stature.
According to prosecutors, Segredo received a significant portion of Serostim from AIDS patients in California who obtained it from the state’s Medicaid program.
According to evidence presented in court, the Nutropin AQ that he distributed was counterfeit and harmed one child.
Story from BizJournals. com
Arnesto Segredo, a former prescription drug wholesaler, from Miami, was sentenced to almost six years in prison for conspiring to divert human growth hormones in interstate commerce.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the charges against Segredo, 43, stemmed from causing suppliers in California, not licensed for wholesale distribution of prescription drugs in California, to ship him hundreds of boxes of Serostim, and some Nutropin AQ, from 2000 through the end of 2002.
Segredo operated Life Extension Institute, a Miami-based prescription drug wholesaler not licensed to distribute drugs in Florida. He later operated Genendo Purchasing Organization, which obtained a Florida license in 2001.
Segredo, convicted of two felony counts, was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Evidence showed that the Nutropin AQ distributed by Segredo was counterfeit, the U.S. Attorney's office. The counterfeit Nutropin ultimately caused harm to a child, prosecutors charged.
Serostim is an injectable drug approved for treatment of HIV/AIDS patients. Nutropin AQ is an injectable drug used to treat growth hormone deficiency, including children.
Story from the Miami Herald .com
New Muscle Insider Mag won't cover steroids ?
"we're not going to be covering steroids in MUSCLE INSIDER in any way (negative or positive). There are a lot of other outlets that do that already and it's not what we are going to be about."
I get the feeling quite a few guys will be dissappointed by this news.
I get the feeling quite a few guys will be dissappointed by this news.
Irish internet source gets TWO years jail.
A man who distributed up to €144,000 of prescription steroids bought on the black market has been jailed for two years by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
His girlfriend had her sentence adjourned and Judge Delahunt indicated she would not go to prison if a probation report was positive.
She told Bernard Foy (38) and Anna Nawroka (27) the court “takes a very serious view of devastating effects the drugs can have on people”. She took into account Foy’s co-operation with gardaà and his “service to his country” in the Army before his honourable discharge, but said a custodial sentence was appropriate. Judge Delahunt told Nawroka that “a custodial sentence may not be appropriate”.
Det Sgt Brian Walsh said the “main player” in the plan had fled the country.
His girlfriend had her sentence adjourned and Judge Delahunt indicated she would not go to prison if a probation report was positive.
She told Bernard Foy (38) and Anna Nawroka (27) the court “takes a very serious view of devastating effects the drugs can have on people”. She took into account Foy’s co-operation with gardaà and his “service to his country” in the Army before his honourable discharge, but said a custodial sentence was appropriate. Judge Delahunt told Nawroka that “a custodial sentence may not be appropriate”.
Det Sgt Brian Walsh said the “main player” in the plan had fled the country.
Ruling Upheld in Signature Pharmacy Steroids Case.
Another ruling has been made, involving an investigation of illegal steroids headed up by Albany County District Attorney, David Soares.
An appeals court has upheld the dismissal of the indictment again five operators of an Orlando pharmacy.
The panel agrees with an earlier ruling by an Albany County Judge; that instructions given by the prosecutors were deficient and confusing.
The court says the district attorney can seek another indictment.
An appeals court has upheld the dismissal of the indictment again five operators of an Orlando pharmacy.
The panel agrees with an earlier ruling by an Albany County Judge; that instructions given by the prosecutors were deficient and confusing.
The court says the district attorney can seek another indictment.
Former cyclist pleads guilty to distributing performance-enhancing drugs.
A former professional cyclist who served a two-year suspension for doping pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday to conspiracy to distribute two performance-enhancing drugs.
Joe Papp, 34, of Bethel Park, was selling human growth hormone and another drug, erythropoietin, known as EPO, online.
He will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster on June 25. Mr. Papp could face an advisory sentencing range of 10 to 16 months in prison.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy for selling the substances between September 2006 and September 2007. During that time, Mr. Papp sold about $80,000 worth of drugs to approximately 187 customers.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Houghton, Mr. Papp's supplier was in China, and his customers included cyclists and other athletes both in the United States and around the world.
They submitted payment through a private mailbox at a UPS store in Bethel Park.
The plea agreement in the case is sealed, so it is unclear if Mr. Papp is cooperating against anyone.
On his website, Mr. Papp represented himself as a "USA Cycling Elite Coach." He finished in the top 10 at the UCI Pan American Continental Championships road race three times between 1996 and 2005.
In coverage from another site :-
Papp's Chinese connection is identified only by the name "Chen" and authorities did not say if that person would be charged. The evidence against Papp is largely in e-mails between him and his customers, a Web site he operated through which the drugs were sold, and a private mail box where Papp allegedly received the drugs.
"The e-mails would also show that no prescriptions were written by medical doctors and that the drugs were sold for use to enhance athletic performance," Houghton told the judge.
Papp testified that the hormone "definitely does have a beneficial therapeutic effect" and said it was possible to elude detection in drug tests by using a gel form of the hormone at specific times after races.
Papp had testified that he started using testosterone after first using EPO, a hormone produced by the kidney that stimulates the production of red blood cells. Use to treat certain forms of anemia, the drug helps athletes by increasing the capacity of their blood to carry oxygen.
In the Leogrande case in 2008, USADA attorneys introduced cell phone records showing more than 270 calls and texts between Papp and Leogrande, and pictures of Leogrande holding vials of EPO at Papp's home.
Joe Papp, 34, of Bethel Park, was selling human growth hormone and another drug, erythropoietin, known as EPO, online.
He will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster on June 25. Mr. Papp could face an advisory sentencing range of 10 to 16 months in prison.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy for selling the substances between September 2006 and September 2007. During that time, Mr. Papp sold about $80,000 worth of drugs to approximately 187 customers.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Houghton, Mr. Papp's supplier was in China, and his customers included cyclists and other athletes both in the United States and around the world.
They submitted payment through a private mailbox at a UPS store in Bethel Park.
The plea agreement in the case is sealed, so it is unclear if Mr. Papp is cooperating against anyone.
On his website, Mr. Papp represented himself as a "USA Cycling Elite Coach." He finished in the top 10 at the UCI Pan American Continental Championships road race three times between 1996 and 2005.
In coverage from another site :-
Papp's Chinese connection is identified only by the name "Chen" and authorities did not say if that person would be charged. The evidence against Papp is largely in e-mails between him and his customers, a Web site he operated through which the drugs were sold, and a private mail box where Papp allegedly received the drugs.
"The e-mails would also show that no prescriptions were written by medical doctors and that the drugs were sold for use to enhance athletic performance," Houghton told the judge.
Papp testified that the hormone "definitely does have a beneficial therapeutic effect" and said it was possible to elude detection in drug tests by using a gel form of the hormone at specific times after races.
Papp had testified that he started using testosterone after first using EPO, a hormone produced by the kidney that stimulates the production of red blood cells. Use to treat certain forms of anemia, the drug helps athletes by increasing the capacity of their blood to carry oxygen.
In the Leogrande case in 2008, USADA attorneys introduced cell phone records showing more than 270 calls and texts between Papp and Leogrande, and pictures of Leogrande holding vials of EPO at Papp's home.
International Natural Bodybuilding Association plans to store samples for eight years.
ASADA have the capability to store selected urine and blood samples from INBA competitors in their deep-freeze facility, called the Tank, for up to eight years. With this capability, we can retrospectively analyse samples using advances in testing technology to detect prohibited substances (such as human growth hormone) and methods, and enforce sanctions against athletes who return a positive test. The Tank is at the National Measurement Institute, a WADA-accredited laboratory. INBA can serve sanctions up to eight years after the competitor has competed.
Hypogonadism linked to statin use.
Statin therapy may induce primary hypogonadism and should be considered a possible confounding factor when evaluating testosterone levels in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED), according to Italian researchers.
Giorvanni Corona, MD, of the University of Florence, and colleagues studied 3,484 men with ED, of whom 244 (7%) were being treated with statins. After adjusting for potential confounders such as BMI and cardiovascular (CV) risk, both total and free testosterone levels were significantly lower in men taking statins than in those not taking the medications, the researchers reported in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (2010; published online ahead of print). In addition, statin use was associated with reduced testis volume and a higher prevalence of hypogonadism-related signs and symptoms. Statin users had significantly higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and lower prolactin levels.
Statins work by inhibiting an enzyme involved in synthesis of cholesterol, which in turn would inhibit the synthesis of steroids.
Giorvanni Corona, MD, of the University of Florence, and colleagues studied 3,484 men with ED, of whom 244 (7%) were being treated with statins. After adjusting for potential confounders such as BMI and cardiovascular (CV) risk, both total and free testosterone levels were significantly lower in men taking statins than in those not taking the medications, the researchers reported in the Journal of Sexual Medicine (2010; published online ahead of print). In addition, statin use was associated with reduced testis volume and a higher prevalence of hypogonadism-related signs and symptoms. Statin users had significantly higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and lower prolactin levels.
Statins work by inhibiting an enzyme involved in synthesis of cholesterol, which in turn would inhibit the synthesis of steroids.
Counterfeiting operation busted in Middle East.
"The sources added that the Lebanese Customs Department stopped a network that produced and marketed counterfeit steroids for athletes."
It would be nice if one of our Middle Eastern readers could track down more info on this story.
It would be nice if one of our Middle Eastern readers could track down more info on this story.
Doping cyclist's international arrest warrant issued for 'hacking'.
An international arrest warrant has reportedly been issued for disgraced American cyclist Floyd Landis.
According to multiple media outlets, including cyclingnews. com, Pierre Bordry, president of the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) said a warrant was issued January 28, charging Landis with hacking into an agency computer.
Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title after being found guilty in his doping case, in which he tested positive for abnormally high levels of testosterone. The cyclingnews report states the lab that handled his tests said in November 2006 its computers were hacked. The news outlet reports the IP address of the hacker was associated with Arnie Baker, Landis' coach.
According to the report, Baker and Landis were previously subpoenaed by French authorities, but did not travel to testify.
Landis' Tour win was due to an incredible comeback a day after he lost the leader's yellow jersey. He made up more than eight minutes with his win on Stage 17 to re-take the lead, though Landis tested positive for abnormal levels of testosterone after that stage.
In August 2006, following the race's conclusion, tests of a backup samples confirmed abnormally high levels of testosterone.
During the 2006 Tour, Landis was taking cortisone shots for a degenerative hip condition that required surgery after the race. He was also taking medication for a thyroid problem, but it is unknown whether those issues contributed to the elevated testosterone levels after Stage 17.
Landis maintained his innocence, but in September 2007 the American Arbitration Association panel ruled 2-1 in the guilty verdict, with the decision formally stripping him of his victory, giving the title to Oscar Pereiro. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later upheld the ruling.
Landis, 34, was given a two-year suspension that ran out in early 2009. He raced for the U.S.-based OUCH Pro Cycling Team last season.
According to multiple media outlets, including cyclingnews. com, Pierre Bordry, president of the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) said a warrant was issued January 28, charging Landis with hacking into an agency computer.
Landis was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title after being found guilty in his doping case, in which he tested positive for abnormally high levels of testosterone. The cyclingnews report states the lab that handled his tests said in November 2006 its computers were hacked. The news outlet reports the IP address of the hacker was associated with Arnie Baker, Landis' coach.
According to the report, Baker and Landis were previously subpoenaed by French authorities, but did not travel to testify.
Landis' Tour win was due to an incredible comeback a day after he lost the leader's yellow jersey. He made up more than eight minutes with his win on Stage 17 to re-take the lead, though Landis tested positive for abnormal levels of testosterone after that stage.
In August 2006, following the race's conclusion, tests of a backup samples confirmed abnormally high levels of testosterone.
During the 2006 Tour, Landis was taking cortisone shots for a degenerative hip condition that required surgery after the race. He was also taking medication for a thyroid problem, but it is unknown whether those issues contributed to the elevated testosterone levels after Stage 17.
Landis maintained his innocence, but in September 2007 the American Arbitration Association panel ruled 2-1 in the guilty verdict, with the decision formally stripping him of his victory, giving the title to Oscar Pereiro. The Court of Arbitration for Sport later upheld the ruling.
Landis, 34, was given a two-year suspension that ran out in early 2009. He raced for the U.S.-based OUCH Pro Cycling Team last season.
New article on Larry Bigbie bust that went down in Jan 2006.
When the doorbell rang at Larry Bigbie's home in Valparaiso, Ind., on a typically cold winter day in January 2006, there was no reason for him to think something unusual was about to occur.
Bigbie opened the door and accepted a package from a UPS delivery man. Inside the box was a human growth hormone kit that he ordered over the phone from trainer and friend Kirk Radomski.
Bigbie set the package on a table in his house, just as he had the two other times he received one from Radomski. Everything about the previous few moments was so standard.
Then, with no forewarning, the routine was shattered, setting off a chain of events that would forever mark the professional baseball career of the former Ball State standout.
The doorbell rang again, perhaps no more than two minutes after the delivery person left. When Bigbie opened the door this time and looked at his visitors, a sick feeling rocked the bottom of his gut.
"You're always (suspicious) when you're doing something like that," Bigbie says. "You always wonder, but you never think you're going to be the one."
Standing outside the door of Bigbie's home was Jeff Novitzky, an Internal Revenue Service special agent, and four other federal agents. They were there to bust Bigbie for purchasing and using steroids.
Read the full five page story from the Star Press
Bigbie opened the door and accepted a package from a UPS delivery man. Inside the box was a human growth hormone kit that he ordered over the phone from trainer and friend Kirk Radomski.
Bigbie set the package on a table in his house, just as he had the two other times he received one from Radomski. Everything about the previous few moments was so standard.
Then, with no forewarning, the routine was shattered, setting off a chain of events that would forever mark the professional baseball career of the former Ball State standout.
The doorbell rang again, perhaps no more than two minutes after the delivery person left. When Bigbie opened the door this time and looked at his visitors, a sick feeling rocked the bottom of his gut.
"You're always (suspicious) when you're doing something like that," Bigbie says. "You always wonder, but you never think you're going to be the one."
Standing outside the door of Bigbie's home was Jeff Novitzky, an Internal Revenue Service special agent, and four other federal agents. They were there to bust Bigbie for purchasing and using steroids.
Read the full five page story from the Star Press
Basketball player's positive steroid test likely from supplement, wife says.
Juan Dixon, the former NBA player and Maryland star who once delivered an anti- steroids message to Congress, believes his positive steroid test while playing overseas resulted from an over-the-counter supplement, his wife said Sunday.
The player "took an over-the-counter supplement and had no idea it had any type of steroid in it. It's not like he was injecting steroids," Robyn Dixon, his wife, said in an interview with the Baltimore Sun. Juan Dixon has remained in the Spanish city of Malaga and could not immediately be reached for comment.
Story from The "Baltimore Sun.com"
The player "took an over-the-counter supplement and had no idea it had any type of steroid in it. It's not like he was injecting steroids," Robyn Dixon, his wife, said in an interview with the Baltimore Sun. Juan Dixon has remained in the Spanish city of Malaga and could not immediately be reached for comment.
Story from The "Baltimore Sun.com"
Californian Woman gets 4 yrs. for selling human growth hormone.
A Marina del Rey woman was sentenced Friday to 51 months in prison for smuggling human growth hormone into the United States and illegally selling it on the Internet.
Rana Hunter, 61, was convicted by a federal court jury in October of eight counts, including two each for smuggling and knowingly distributing the substance without authorization.
The other convictions were for identity theft, which she did to further her Internet sales scheme, authorities said.
Before Hunter was sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess noted that she stole more identities in this case than in any other case he'd presided over, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
Some of the stolen identities she used came from newspaper obituaries, including one belonging to a deceased Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
After a tip, ICE undercover agents posed as suppliers for spas and medical clinics to make two buys from Hunter in March 2007.
Story from Daily Breeze. com
A Los Angeles-area woman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for smuggling human growth hormone into the United States, then selling it over the Internet to doctors and spas across the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 61-year-old Rana J. Hunter, of Marina del Rey, was sentenced Friday after being convicted in October on federal identity theft and smuggling charges.
Judge Gary Feess says Hunter stole as many identities as he had seen in any case.
ICE investigators intercepted packages in the mail that contained vials of HGH and Botox. The HGH was real but the Botox turned out to be fake.
ICE says a dozen medical doctors and spa operators who may have made purchases from Hunter are under investigation.
Story from SFGate. com
Rana Hunter, 61, was convicted by a federal court jury in October of eight counts, including two each for smuggling and knowingly distributing the substance without authorization.
The other convictions were for identity theft, which she did to further her Internet sales scheme, authorities said.
Before Hunter was sentenced, U.S. District Court Judge Gary Feess noted that she stole more identities in this case than in any other case he'd presided over, according to a news release from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement.
Some of the stolen identities she used came from newspaper obituaries, including one belonging to a deceased Los Angeles Superior Court judge.
After a tip, ICE undercover agents posed as suppliers for spas and medical clinics to make two buys from Hunter in March 2007.
Story from Daily Breeze. com
A Los Angeles-area woman has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for smuggling human growth hormone into the United States, then selling it over the Internet to doctors and spas across the country.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 61-year-old Rana J. Hunter, of Marina del Rey, was sentenced Friday after being convicted in October on federal identity theft and smuggling charges.
Judge Gary Feess says Hunter stole as many identities as he had seen in any case.
ICE investigators intercepted packages in the mail that contained vials of HGH and Botox. The HGH was real but the Botox turned out to be fake.
ICE says a dozen medical doctors and spa operators who may have made purchases from Hunter are under investigation.
Story from SFGate. com
Drug induced heart disease led to gym owner's death ( coroner blames coke and not steroids for a change )
A GYM owner with a history of cocaine abuse ‘trained harder than he ever had’ on the day he died an inquest heard.
Terry Litz, aged 52, was found slumped against the kitchen worktop of his Bewsey home after calling to his girlfriend, on July 21 at around 10.45pm, Warrington Coroners’ Court heard on Wednesday.
Adele Harrison-Litz, his girlfriend, of Hood Manor, said: “He went to shut the back door and I heard him shout ‘oh my God babe’.
“Everything went quiet and I heard a bang and found him slouched against the kitchen top with his back to me.
“I heard a strange noise like he was choking.
“The paramedics came quickly but it felt like forever.
“I pulled him away from the worktop and his arms literally fell down his side. He couldn’t raise his arms.
“I lay him on the floor on his side and it was as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. By the time I lay him on his back, the whites of his eyes had filled with blood.”
She said she was trying to resuscitate her partner of around 12 years but he was not breathing so she ran into the street and shouted for help.
The court heard that Mr Litz, of Farmside Close, who owned the Muscle House gym in Bewsey, had trained ‘harder than he ever had’ earlier that day.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mr Litz but he was confirmed dead at Warrington Hospital.
Dr Mohammed Aljafari, a consultant pathologist, found Mr Litz’s heart to be grossly enlarged, weighing 494g – more than 300g heavier than an average heart.
Toxicology tests found evidence of previous cocaine use and tamoxifen, a cancer drug occasionally used bodybuilders to cancel the breast-boosting effects of steroids.
Ms Harrison-Litz said her boyfriend used to use cocaine and steroids but she was not aware of him taking any around the time of his death.
Evidence of surgery from when Mr Litz was shot in 2002 at a KFC restaurant in Hanley, Stoke, was also found.
Mr Litz was jailed in May 2006 for three years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine at a drug preperation in Sankey.
Dr Janet Napier, deputy coroner for Cheshire, said Mr Litz died from cardiac arrhythmia and cocaine induced cardiac disease.
Terry Litz, aged 52, was found slumped against the kitchen worktop of his Bewsey home after calling to his girlfriend, on July 21 at around 10.45pm, Warrington Coroners’ Court heard on Wednesday.
Adele Harrison-Litz, his girlfriend, of Hood Manor, said: “He went to shut the back door and I heard him shout ‘oh my God babe’.
“Everything went quiet and I heard a bang and found him slouched against the kitchen top with his back to me.
“I heard a strange noise like he was choking.
“The paramedics came quickly but it felt like forever.
“I pulled him away from the worktop and his arms literally fell down his side. He couldn’t raise his arms.
“I lay him on the floor on his side and it was as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. By the time I lay him on his back, the whites of his eyes had filled with blood.”
She said she was trying to resuscitate her partner of around 12 years but he was not breathing so she ran into the street and shouted for help.
The court heard that Mr Litz, of Farmside Close, who owned the Muscle House gym in Bewsey, had trained ‘harder than he ever had’ earlier that day.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate Mr Litz but he was confirmed dead at Warrington Hospital.
Dr Mohammed Aljafari, a consultant pathologist, found Mr Litz’s heart to be grossly enlarged, weighing 494g – more than 300g heavier than an average heart.
Toxicology tests found evidence of previous cocaine use and tamoxifen, a cancer drug occasionally used bodybuilders to cancel the breast-boosting effects of steroids.
Ms Harrison-Litz said her boyfriend used to use cocaine and steroids but she was not aware of him taking any around the time of his death.
Evidence of surgery from when Mr Litz was shot in 2002 at a KFC restaurant in Hanley, Stoke, was also found.
Mr Litz was jailed in May 2006 for three years after pleading guilty to conspiracy to supply cocaine at a drug preperation in Sankey.
Dr Janet Napier, deputy coroner for Cheshire, said Mr Litz died from cardiac arrhythmia and cocaine induced cardiac disease.
Irish internet source pleads guilty.
A couple who pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of steroids will be sentenced next week at the Central Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin.
The court heard evidence that the Irish Medicines Board suspected that anabolic steroids, sometimes used for body building, but also insulin and Viagra, were being posted from Thailand and Greece to a fictitious name at a hired mailbox.
Bernard Foy (38), a former soldier, and Anna Nawroka (27), who have a child together, face a possible maximum fine of €127,000 and/or 10 years in jail for their roles in breaking down and distributing steroid packages sourced abroad.
Det Sgt Brian Walsh revealed that although the couple were “essential cogs” in this criminal enterprise, the “main player” imported the drugs wholesale and ran a website selling them in smaller packages. This person has since fled the country.
James Dwyer, defending Foy, submitted that his client met this main player after he began self-medicating with steroids when he found himself unable to afford physiotherapy following a serious traffic accident in 1993, which smashed his pelvis, leg and arm.
Foy and Nawroka, Hermitage Gardens, Lucan, pleaded guilty to supplying medicinal products without prescription at Camden Row, Dublin, and Monksfield Heights, Clondalkin, respectively on March 22nd, 2005. Foy has one previous minor conviction from 1991.
Det Sgt Walsh told Ronan Kennedy, prosecuting, that gardaà set up surveillance outside Charter House on Camden Row and at the Monksfield Heights house in March 2005 following an Irish Medicines Board investigation into suspected illegal prescription drug distribution from these addresses. The board contacted the Charter House manager, who began monitoring the mailbox for twice-weekly package deliveries to “Glen Ryan”.
Gardaà set up surveillance with board enforcement officers outside Charter House and saw Foy pulling up on a motorcycle, entering the building and returning with a parcel addressed to “Glen Ryan”.
Foy immediately handed over the parcel and admitted it contained steroids.
Joe Callan, an Irish Medicines Board enforcement officer, told Mr Kennedy that Foy’s parcel contained 4,000 steroid pills worth €2,200 as outlined on a printed price list also found on him.
Mr Callan said gardaà seized 40,500 pills worth €22,000 at Nawroka’s old Clondalkin address on the same date following a similar surveillance operation.
He said gardaà discovered the balance of the €143,707 drugs bust at various Dublin locations volunteered by Foy in interview, but added that the full value of all the pills in the investigation reached €205,000.
Det Sgt Walsh told Mr Kennedy that gardaà found two mobile phones, a notebook of pill transactions, a printed drug price list, lists of steroids, mailbox agencies and names on Foy on his arrest.
They also seized €6,000 from Foy, who has since had a baby with Nawroka, which he identified as sales profits.
Mr Foy told gardaà the operation’s “main player” was paying him in steroids for personal use and for selling to his friends for split profit.
Nawroka told gardaà and the Irish Medicines Board that she was being paid €300 a week for breaking down and repackaging the bulk pills to orders received in text messages from the main player. She would post these packages to their destinations using a false name.
Det Sgt Walsh agreed with Shane Costelloe, defending Nawroka, that his client had been 23 at the time, had come to Ireland looking for work but failed to get a job before getting involved in the criminal operation.
Judge Katherine Delahunt then adjourned the matter until next week.
The court heard evidence that the Irish Medicines Board suspected that anabolic steroids, sometimes used for body building, but also insulin and Viagra, were being posted from Thailand and Greece to a fictitious name at a hired mailbox.
Bernard Foy (38), a former soldier, and Anna Nawroka (27), who have a child together, face a possible maximum fine of €127,000 and/or 10 years in jail for their roles in breaking down and distributing steroid packages sourced abroad.
Det Sgt Brian Walsh revealed that although the couple were “essential cogs” in this criminal enterprise, the “main player” imported the drugs wholesale and ran a website selling them in smaller packages. This person has since fled the country.
James Dwyer, defending Foy, submitted that his client met this main player after he began self-medicating with steroids when he found himself unable to afford physiotherapy following a serious traffic accident in 1993, which smashed his pelvis, leg and arm.
Foy and Nawroka, Hermitage Gardens, Lucan, pleaded guilty to supplying medicinal products without prescription at Camden Row, Dublin, and Monksfield Heights, Clondalkin, respectively on March 22nd, 2005. Foy has one previous minor conviction from 1991.
Det Sgt Walsh told Ronan Kennedy, prosecuting, that gardaà set up surveillance outside Charter House on Camden Row and at the Monksfield Heights house in March 2005 following an Irish Medicines Board investigation into suspected illegal prescription drug distribution from these addresses. The board contacted the Charter House manager, who began monitoring the mailbox for twice-weekly package deliveries to “Glen Ryan”.
Gardaà set up surveillance with board enforcement officers outside Charter House and saw Foy pulling up on a motorcycle, entering the building and returning with a parcel addressed to “Glen Ryan”.
Foy immediately handed over the parcel and admitted it contained steroids.
Joe Callan, an Irish Medicines Board enforcement officer, told Mr Kennedy that Foy’s parcel contained 4,000 steroid pills worth €2,200 as outlined on a printed price list also found on him.
Mr Callan said gardaà seized 40,500 pills worth €22,000 at Nawroka’s old Clondalkin address on the same date following a similar surveillance operation.
He said gardaà discovered the balance of the €143,707 drugs bust at various Dublin locations volunteered by Foy in interview, but added that the full value of all the pills in the investigation reached €205,000.
Det Sgt Walsh told Mr Kennedy that gardaà found two mobile phones, a notebook of pill transactions, a printed drug price list, lists of steroids, mailbox agencies and names on Foy on his arrest.
They also seized €6,000 from Foy, who has since had a baby with Nawroka, which he identified as sales profits.
Mr Foy told gardaà the operation’s “main player” was paying him in steroids for personal use and for selling to his friends for split profit.
Nawroka told gardaà and the Irish Medicines Board that she was being paid €300 a week for breaking down and repackaging the bulk pills to orders received in text messages from the main player. She would post these packages to their destinations using a false name.
Det Sgt Walsh agreed with Shane Costelloe, defending Nawroka, that his client had been 23 at the time, had come to Ireland looking for work but failed to get a job before getting involved in the criminal operation.
Judge Katherine Delahunt then adjourned the matter until next week.
Correction officers charged with selling steroids.
Two Oneida County sheriff’s correction officers have been indicted this week on charges of selling steroid drugs over the summer.
Peter DiNardo and Zachary Lazore both appeared in Oneida County Court Wednesday afternoon to be arraigned on a sealed grand jury indictment containing eight charges – six felonies and two misdemeanors.
Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges and are due to appear again in front of Judge Barry M. Donalty on Feb. 24. They are currently released on their own recognizance.
DiNardo, 42, of Deerfield, and Lazore, 23, of Yorkville, were charged as accomplices with fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felony charges.
According to the indictment, both men sold Oxymetholone, an anabolic steroid, around July 22, 2009, in the city of Utica.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Grant Garramone, said the drug was sold to an “agent of the police,” but he would not disclose whether the individual was an informant or an undercover officer.
Lazore also is charged with additional counts of possessing and selling the steroid Stanozolol, also known as Winstrol, in Yorkville around July 31 and Aug. 10, 2009, the indictment states.
DiNardo likewise is charged with an additional count of possessing Oxymetholone to sell on Aug. 10, 2009, in Deerfield. In connection with that same date, DiNardo also faces misdemeanor drug charges for possessing testosterone and cocaine.
These formal charges come about six months after it was disclosed that Lazore and DiNardo were both under investigation by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, or CNET, for steroid possession.
Story from UticaOD. com
Peter DiNardo and Zachary Lazore both appeared in Oneida County Court Wednesday afternoon to be arraigned on a sealed grand jury indictment containing eight charges – six felonies and two misdemeanors.
Both men pleaded not guilty to all charges and are due to appear again in front of Judge Barry M. Donalty on Feb. 24. They are currently released on their own recognizance.
DiNardo, 42, of Deerfield, and Lazore, 23, of Yorkville, were charged as accomplices with fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both felony charges.
According to the indictment, both men sold Oxymetholone, an anabolic steroid, around July 22, 2009, in the city of Utica.
The prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney Grant Garramone, said the drug was sold to an “agent of the police,” but he would not disclose whether the individual was an informant or an undercover officer.
Lazore also is charged with additional counts of possessing and selling the steroid Stanozolol, also known as Winstrol, in Yorkville around July 31 and Aug. 10, 2009, the indictment states.
DiNardo likewise is charged with an additional count of possessing Oxymetholone to sell on Aug. 10, 2009, in Deerfield. In connection with that same date, DiNardo also faces misdemeanor drug charges for possessing testosterone and cocaine.
These formal charges come about six months after it was disclosed that Lazore and DiNardo were both under investigation by the New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, or CNET, for steroid possession.
Story from UticaOD. com
Aromasin a smarter choice than Nolvadex ?
The breast cancer drug tamoxifen -- used for three decades to treat the disease -- appears to affect cognitive abilities, including some types of memory, a new study has found.
"Our results are important for breast cancer patients because intact cognitive functioning is known to be an important precondition for well-being," said study author Christien Schilder, a doctoral student at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam.
After a year of taking tamoxifen (Nolvadex), women in the study scored lower on tests of verbal memory functioning and other cognitive skills than did women taking another breast cancer drug, exemestane (Aromasin).
Read the full article From BusinessWeek.com
"Our results are important for breast cancer patients because intact cognitive functioning is known to be an important precondition for well-being," said study author Christien Schilder, a doctoral student at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam.
After a year of taking tamoxifen (Nolvadex), women in the study scored lower on tests of verbal memory functioning and other cognitive skills than did women taking another breast cancer drug, exemestane (Aromasin).
Read the full article From BusinessWeek.com
Australia cracks down on smuggling using the mail. ( no steroids found ? )
More than 73 kilograms of illegal drugs hidden in items including children's toys and nappies have been seized and 22 people arrested during a week-long operation targeting Australia's mail system.
The joint operation between the federal police and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has led to the seizure of 145 parcels nationwide since Monday, police said.
Drugs were found in children's soft toys, nappies and books, among other items, Mr Zuccato told reporters in Sydney today.
"I think what this demonstrates across the board is just how insidious organised crime is and the callousness of these individuals who would choose to hide narcotics in kids' toys and possibly put kids at risk," Mr Zuccato said.
A total of 22 men have been arrested in Australia.
They include 10 in NSW aged between 20 and 46, 10 in Victoria aged 20 to 36, and four men in Queensland aged between 22 and 35.
The federal police worked with international authorities to dismantle a drug mailing operation in Peru and Colombia.
Other items seized included firearms, fake driver's licences and passports, counterfeit DVDs and CDs, and $152,000 in cash.
"This is about demonstrating to those people who want to bring narcotics into our country, whether it's in envelopes, whether it's in packages, containers, strapped to people's bodies or inside them, we are on the job and we are waiting for them," Mr Zuccato said.
The joint operation between the federal police and Australian Customs and Border Protection Service has led to the seizure of 145 parcels nationwide since Monday, police said.
Drugs were found in children's soft toys, nappies and books, among other items, Mr Zuccato told reporters in Sydney today.
"I think what this demonstrates across the board is just how insidious organised crime is and the callousness of these individuals who would choose to hide narcotics in kids' toys and possibly put kids at risk," Mr Zuccato said.
A total of 22 men have been arrested in Australia.
They include 10 in NSW aged between 20 and 46, 10 in Victoria aged 20 to 36, and four men in Queensland aged between 22 and 35.
The federal police worked with international authorities to dismantle a drug mailing operation in Peru and Colombia.
Other items seized included firearms, fake driver's licences and passports, counterfeit DVDs and CDs, and $152,000 in cash.
"This is about demonstrating to those people who want to bring narcotics into our country, whether it's in envelopes, whether it's in packages, containers, strapped to people's bodies or inside them, we are on the job and we are waiting for them," Mr Zuccato said.
Retired Australian football player fined $8000 over Thai steroid importation.
FORMER West Coast Eagles premiership player Daniel Chick has been fined $7000 with $1000 costs after pleading guilty to importing performance and image enhancing steroids from Thailand.
Chick, 33, was caught with nine vials and a number of pills of anabolic steroids concealed in his luggage after landing at Perth Airport on October 9 last year, the Perth Magistrates Court heard today.
Chick’s lawyer Michael Tudori today entered pleas of guilty on the ex-footballer's behalf to two charges of importing a prohibited import and knowingly or purposely making a false, misleading statement to a Customs officer.
Mr Tudori said the former Eagle, who retired from football last year after two seasons with Subiaco in the WAFL, could not appear in court because he was working a fly-in fly-out roster as a crane driver and driller at the Pluto LNG site in the state's north.
Mr Tudori described Chick’s actions as a "foolish act", saying that he bought the steroids as part of a "health program" to rehabilitate his battered body after 12 years of professional football.
Chick played a particularly brutal, bruising brand of football and suffered numerous injuries over a long career with Hawthorn and West Coast.
He had a finger amputated after it was so severely broken it would not heal.
Before leaving on the holiday to Thailand, Chick decided to start a "health program" and two weeks before the end of the trip he bought the steroids, the court heard.
"He commenced a steroid program and it was to continue" he told the court.
Mr Tudori said when Chick arrived at the airport and completed his Customs form, which failed to declare the drugs, he had been "groggy" because of a potent sleeping pill he had taken during the flight.
"He ticked the green one instead of the red one - he accepts that" he said.
Mr Tudori asked Magistrate Elizabeth Woods to grant a spent conviction order so he could continue working up north, saying that the former footballer had ``done it tough’’ after ending his career and would likely be sacked.
"At the end of his AFL football career he has worked very hard to make a life after football" Mr Tudori told the court.
"He is not like others who have pubs and alike. He has had to go back and had to do it the hard way, he has gone back to the tools."
Mr Tudori said the conviction would also stop Chick seeing his eight-year-old son who lived with his former partner in the US.
Magistrate Woods granted a spent conviction saying that the unusual custody deal which forced Chick to fly to Los Angeles to see his son was a special circumstance.
Magistrate Woods fined him $7000 for the two charges, ordered he pay Customs another $1000 for court costs and placed him on a good behaviour bond for 18 months.
Outside court Mr Tudori said Chick was "relieved and remorseful" for his actions. "He made an error, he is sorry, he wants to get on with life after football" he told reporters.
Asked if Chick took drugs during his playing career, Mr Tudori said: "absolutely not. Anyone who knows him or has followed Daniel’s career knows that is not the case".
He said he was no longer taking steroids. At the time, Chick's friends told The Sunday Times the footballer had been prescribed steroidal drugs for asthma and chest infections.
Story from PerthNow. com.au
Chick, 33, was caught with nine vials and a number of pills of anabolic steroids concealed in his luggage after landing at Perth Airport on October 9 last year, the Perth Magistrates Court heard today.
Chick’s lawyer Michael Tudori today entered pleas of guilty on the ex-footballer's behalf to two charges of importing a prohibited import and knowingly or purposely making a false, misleading statement to a Customs officer.
Mr Tudori said the former Eagle, who retired from football last year after two seasons with Subiaco in the WAFL, could not appear in court because he was working a fly-in fly-out roster as a crane driver and driller at the Pluto LNG site in the state's north.
Mr Tudori described Chick’s actions as a "foolish act", saying that he bought the steroids as part of a "health program" to rehabilitate his battered body after 12 years of professional football.
Chick played a particularly brutal, bruising brand of football and suffered numerous injuries over a long career with Hawthorn and West Coast.
He had a finger amputated after it was so severely broken it would not heal.
Before leaving on the holiday to Thailand, Chick decided to start a "health program" and two weeks before the end of the trip he bought the steroids, the court heard.
"He commenced a steroid program and it was to continue" he told the court.
Mr Tudori said when Chick arrived at the airport and completed his Customs form, which failed to declare the drugs, he had been "groggy" because of a potent sleeping pill he had taken during the flight.
"He ticked the green one instead of the red one - he accepts that" he said.
Mr Tudori asked Magistrate Elizabeth Woods to grant a spent conviction order so he could continue working up north, saying that the former footballer had ``done it tough’’ after ending his career and would likely be sacked.
"At the end of his AFL football career he has worked very hard to make a life after football" Mr Tudori told the court.
"He is not like others who have pubs and alike. He has had to go back and had to do it the hard way, he has gone back to the tools."
Mr Tudori said the conviction would also stop Chick seeing his eight-year-old son who lived with his former partner in the US.
Magistrate Woods granted a spent conviction saying that the unusual custody deal which forced Chick to fly to Los Angeles to see his son was a special circumstance.
Magistrate Woods fined him $7000 for the two charges, ordered he pay Customs another $1000 for court costs and placed him on a good behaviour bond for 18 months.
Outside court Mr Tudori said Chick was "relieved and remorseful" for his actions. "He made an error, he is sorry, he wants to get on with life after football" he told reporters.
Asked if Chick took drugs during his playing career, Mr Tudori said: "absolutely not. Anyone who knows him or has followed Daniel’s career knows that is not the case".
He said he was no longer taking steroids. At the time, Chick's friends told The Sunday Times the footballer had been prescribed steroidal drugs for asthma and chest infections.
Story from PerthNow. com.au
Former Canby cop pleads guilty to steroid, official misconduct charges.
Former Canby police Officer Jason D. Deason pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally possessing anabolic steroids and purchasing the drug while in uniform and on duty.
Deason will be sentenced on Feb. 25 in Clackamas County Circuit Court. He faces a maximum sentence of three years for unlawful possession of a controlled substance and official misconduct.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Wu said he will request 120 days in jail as part of plea agreement. Deason's attorney, Leonard Kovac Jr., said he will seek a lesser sentence.
Deason, 39, resigned from the police department in July 2008.
One of Deason's alleged suppliers, Canby resident William J. Traverso, will be tried on theft and unlawful possession of steroids charges on March 30.
Deason will be sentenced on Feb. 25 in Clackamas County Circuit Court. He faces a maximum sentence of three years for unlawful possession of a controlled substance and official misconduct.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Wu said he will request 120 days in jail as part of plea agreement. Deason's attorney, Leonard Kovac Jr., said he will seek a lesser sentence.
Deason, 39, resigned from the police department in July 2008.
One of Deason's alleged suppliers, Canby resident William J. Traverso, will be tried on theft and unlawful possession of steroids charges on March 30.
Free 2010 Arnold Classic & Internationals Webcast.
Bodybuilding.com, the Internet's most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest retailer of nutritional supplements, is once again offering a free all-access webcast featuring the 2010 Arnold Classic men's professional bodybuilding championships and the Women's professional bodybuilding, figure and fitness International championships.
The 2010 Arnold Classic will be webcast live from Veteran's Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. You can watch the Ms. International, Ms. Fitness International and Ms. Figure International at 7:00 pm EST on Friday, March 5th. Tune in the next day, Saturday, March 7th at 12:00 pm for Men's Prejudging and again at 7:00 pm EST for the Men's Finals.
The 2010 Arnold Classic will be webcast live from Veteran's Memorial Auditorium in Columbus, Ohio. You can watch the Ms. International, Ms. Fitness International and Ms. Figure International at 7:00 pm EST on Friday, March 5th. Tune in the next day, Saturday, March 7th at 12:00 pm for Men's Prejudging and again at 7:00 pm EST for the Men's Finals.
Court: Property seizure in Bruce Kneller / RSOC steroid case was OK
The Supreme Judicial Court ruled Tuesday that state troopers did not act improperly in seizing a car and a bank account belonging to a steroids dealer before his trial.
Bruce Kneller of Canton, known in the bodybuilding world as the “Steroid Guru,” was arrested in 2006 for selling steroids online. He pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.
The court ruling says Kneller had $124,800 worth of illegal steroids in his Blue Hills Village condo in Canton when it was searched.
State Police seized his 2004 Audi and froze a Bank of America account containing more than $200,000.
Authorities are allowed to seize property used in criminal acts. Tuesday’s ruling says the right of seizure also applies to items not directly used in the committing of crimes.
It says authorities can confiscate items that were “probably derived from illegal drug transactions.”
The decision says the state had probable cause to believe that a connection existed between Kneller’s bank account and his illegal drug operation.”
The state needed “reliable information ... that established probable cause” of such a connection; it did not need to establish that the property in question stemmed directly from a drug transaction, the decision says.
Bruce Kneller of Canton, known in the bodybuilding world as the “Steroid Guru,” was arrested in 2006 for selling steroids online. He pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.
The court ruling says Kneller had $124,800 worth of illegal steroids in his Blue Hills Village condo in Canton when it was searched.
State Police seized his 2004 Audi and froze a Bank of America account containing more than $200,000.
Authorities are allowed to seize property used in criminal acts. Tuesday’s ruling says the right of seizure also applies to items not directly used in the committing of crimes.
It says authorities can confiscate items that were “probably derived from illegal drug transactions.”
The decision says the state had probable cause to believe that a connection existed between Kneller’s bank account and his illegal drug operation.”
The state needed “reliable information ... that established probable cause” of such a connection; it did not need to establish that the property in question stemmed directly from a drug transaction, the decision says.
South African health insurance companies unhappy about the use of supplements and steroids.
The use of sporting drugs and supplements could have significant consequences for the insurance industry.
On Monday Professor Tim Noakes of the University of Cape Town told the International Committee for Insurance Medicine congress that heart problems and drug dependency are among the major health risks for sportspeople using drugs and other supplements.
Insufficient data have been compiled on the extent of the risk for the life insurance industry, but the ingestion of such agents is increasing dramatically, with consequent raised implications for assurers.
According to Noakes, the big difference between supplements and sports drugs is that the former are legal but unregulated, while the market for the latter is estimated to be much larger than that for so-called recreational drugs - which include substances like cocaine and heroin.
Pharmaceutical groups do test supplements but, because the industry is not regulated at an international level, there are many manufacturers flooding the market with supplements whose safety cannot be guaranteed in the long term.
Noakes reports that studies show that users of anabolic steroids are more inclined to develop depression and heart problems, use recreational drugs and die violent deaths.
Noakes believes the use of supplements and steroids is widespread among ordinary people exercising at gymnasiums around the corner, who ingest them just to look good - the typical people that life assurance companies have to insure.
According to Noakes the presence of very little body fat is one indication of the use of drugs and supplements in sport.
If a woman athlete's body fat is less than a man's, she is using supplements, he declares.
On Monday Professor Tim Noakes of the University of Cape Town told the International Committee for Insurance Medicine congress that heart problems and drug dependency are among the major health risks for sportspeople using drugs and other supplements.
Insufficient data have been compiled on the extent of the risk for the life insurance industry, but the ingestion of such agents is increasing dramatically, with consequent raised implications for assurers.
According to Noakes, the big difference between supplements and sports drugs is that the former are legal but unregulated, while the market for the latter is estimated to be much larger than that for so-called recreational drugs - which include substances like cocaine and heroin.
Pharmaceutical groups do test supplements but, because the industry is not regulated at an international level, there are many manufacturers flooding the market with supplements whose safety cannot be guaranteed in the long term.
Noakes reports that studies show that users of anabolic steroids are more inclined to develop depression and heart problems, use recreational drugs and die violent deaths.
Noakes believes the use of supplements and steroids is widespread among ordinary people exercising at gymnasiums around the corner, who ingest them just to look good - the typical people that life assurance companies have to insure.
According to Noakes the presence of very little body fat is one indication of the use of drugs and supplements in sport.
If a woman athlete's body fat is less than a man's, she is using supplements, he declares.
P-Drol lawsuit against TF Supplements.
Claiming a dietary supplement caused severe and permanent damage to his liver, a Dickinson man has filed suit against the product's manufacturer.
Angel Brito filed a lawsuit against TF Supplements, alleging he became jaundiced, suffered extreme pains in his side and suffered uncontrollable itching several weeks after taking P-Drol, a steroid precursor. It is marketed to fitness enthusiasts and weight lifters for its alleged muscle-building capabilities.
"Specifically, Brito experienced liver failure after taking P-Drol," states the original complaint filed Feb. 4 in Galveston County District Court.
Brito alleges P-Drol contained an ingredient known to be troublesome to the liver, and was marketed as a dietary supplement.
On July 28, 2009, the FDA issued a public health advisory warning stating that consumers should stop taking steroids marketed as dietary supplements and advised anyone who took the steroids and subsequently showed signs of liver problems to seek immediate medical attention.
Brito claims he became ill on Oct. 5, 2009, and went to the emergency room at Clear Lake Regional Hospital.
"Doctors measured an extremely elevated bilirubin number," the suit says. "Brito's liver was enlarged and swollen, a side effect from taking P-Drol."
"After taking the pills, Brito's weight dropped nearly 30 pounds."
The plaintiff claims he spent several days in the hospital while doctors monitored his bilirubin number and contemplated a liver transplant.
He was eventually discharged and referred to a liver specialist for continued physician care, having underwent weekly checkups that include blood sampling, CAT scans and MRIs.
Brito alleges he continues to suffer debilitating fatigue, constant itching, nausea and weight loss and has developed a mass behind his pectoral muscle.
Consequently, he seeks damages for pain and suffering, disfigurement, impairment, mental anguish and medical expenses. He is demanding a jury trial.
Angel Brito filed a lawsuit against TF Supplements, alleging he became jaundiced, suffered extreme pains in his side and suffered uncontrollable itching several weeks after taking P-Drol, a steroid precursor. It is marketed to fitness enthusiasts and weight lifters for its alleged muscle-building capabilities.
"Specifically, Brito experienced liver failure after taking P-Drol," states the original complaint filed Feb. 4 in Galveston County District Court.
Brito alleges P-Drol contained an ingredient known to be troublesome to the liver, and was marketed as a dietary supplement.
On July 28, 2009, the FDA issued a public health advisory warning stating that consumers should stop taking steroids marketed as dietary supplements and advised anyone who took the steroids and subsequently showed signs of liver problems to seek immediate medical attention.
Brito claims he became ill on Oct. 5, 2009, and went to the emergency room at Clear Lake Regional Hospital.
"Doctors measured an extremely elevated bilirubin number," the suit says. "Brito's liver was enlarged and swollen, a side effect from taking P-Drol."
"After taking the pills, Brito's weight dropped nearly 30 pounds."
The plaintiff claims he spent several days in the hospital while doctors monitored his bilirubin number and contemplated a liver transplant.
He was eventually discharged and referred to a liver specialist for continued physician care, having underwent weekly checkups that include blood sampling, CAT scans and MRIs.
Brito alleges he continues to suffer debilitating fatigue, constant itching, nausea and weight loss and has developed a mass behind his pectoral muscle.
Consequently, he seeks damages for pain and suffering, disfigurement, impairment, mental anguish and medical expenses. He is demanding a jury trial.
New sub-Q Bremelanotide trial in men.
Palatin Technologies, Inc. today announced the completion of first cohort dosing in a placebo-controlled, multiple dose study of bremelanotide, its experimental treatment for sexual dysfunction. The primary endpoint in this double-blind safety study is evaluation of blood pressure effects of subcutaneous bremelanotide in men between 45 and 65 years old. The study will also evaluate consistency of plasma exposure of bremelanotide given as repeated subcutaneous injections.
The current study is designed to validate our hypothesis that increases in blood pressure and gastrointestinal events seen with intranasally administered bremelanotide were primarily related to high intranasal absorption in a subset of patients. The results from this study in the male demographic we are targeting for commercialization, combined with results from our study reported last August, are intended to further address concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration," said Trevor Hallam, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development of Palatin.
The current study is designed to validate our hypothesis that increases in blood pressure and gastrointestinal events seen with intranasally administered bremelanotide were primarily related to high intranasal absorption in a subset of patients. The results from this study in the male demographic we are targeting for commercialization, combined with results from our study reported last August, are intended to further address concerns raised by the Food and Drug Administration," said Trevor Hallam, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Research and Development of Palatin.
Jury finds 5 guilty in Mobile steroids conspiracy case.
A federal jury this afternoon found the owners of a Mobile pharmacy, the business' supervising pharmacist and the owner of a Colorado anti-aging clinic guilty of a steroids conspiracy.
But the jurors acquitted three pharmacists at Applied Pharmacy Services and an investor of the Internet-based anti-aging clinic, Infinite Health.
"This verdict sends a message to medical professionals who would abdicate their responsibilities to their patients in order to profit from illegally selling drugs," U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown said in a prepared statement. "Athletes and youngsters must realize that those who would prescribe performance enhancing drugs may be motivated by profit and greed rather than their health and well-being."
Prosecutors alleged that Applied Pharmacy was in on the conspiracy, submitting dozens of taped phone conversations as evidence. The pharmacy's owners and employees countered that they believed the prescriptions -- signed by licensed physicians -- were valid.
"It's a tough loss," said Richard Jaffe, an attorney who represented Applied President and CEO A. Samuel Kelley.
Jaffe said he will take a thorough look at the trial record in the coming weeks.
"We first of all have to digest it," he said. "It's an emotional explosion to the lives of our clients."
In addition to Kelley and Branch, the jury convicted Kelly's cousin, Jason R. Kelley, the secretary and part owner of Applied; Jodi C. Silvio, another part owner; and J. Michael Bennett, who was the supervising pharmacist.
Three pharmacists who worked for the compounding pharmacy, J. Mallory Mallon, Roger A. Everett and Robin K. Kelly, won acquittals. Ronald E. Winter, a Colorado sheriff's deputy who was a customer of Branch's and ended up becoming an investor, also was found not guilty.
The jury reached its verdict after deliberating parts of four days following a month-plus trial. Several doctors, who previously had pleaded guilty to steroids charges, testified that they colluded with Infinite Health owner Brett W. Branch to supply steroids to bodybuilders, athletes and other healthy customers.
But the jurors acquitted three pharmacists at Applied Pharmacy Services and an investor of the Internet-based anti-aging clinic, Infinite Health.
"This verdict sends a message to medical professionals who would abdicate their responsibilities to their patients in order to profit from illegally selling drugs," U.S. Attorney Kenyen Brown said in a prepared statement. "Athletes and youngsters must realize that those who would prescribe performance enhancing drugs may be motivated by profit and greed rather than their health and well-being."
Prosecutors alleged that Applied Pharmacy was in on the conspiracy, submitting dozens of taped phone conversations as evidence. The pharmacy's owners and employees countered that they believed the prescriptions -- signed by licensed physicians -- were valid.
"It's a tough loss," said Richard Jaffe, an attorney who represented Applied President and CEO A. Samuel Kelley.
Jaffe said he will take a thorough look at the trial record in the coming weeks.
"We first of all have to digest it," he said. "It's an emotional explosion to the lives of our clients."
In addition to Kelley and Branch, the jury convicted Kelly's cousin, Jason R. Kelley, the secretary and part owner of Applied; Jodi C. Silvio, another part owner; and J. Michael Bennett, who was the supervising pharmacist.
Three pharmacists who worked for the compounding pharmacy, J. Mallory Mallon, Roger A. Everett and Robin K. Kelly, won acquittals. Ronald E. Winter, a Colorado sheriff's deputy who was a customer of Branch's and ended up becoming an investor, also was found not guilty.
The jury reached its verdict after deliberating parts of four days following a month-plus trial. Several doctors, who previously had pleaded guilty to steroids charges, testified that they colluded with Infinite Health owner Brett W. Branch to supply steroids to bodybuilders, athletes and other healthy customers.
British dealer gets controlled delivery of K powder from India, claims he was expecting steroids and Valium.
( Bust happened in Jan 2009, why the one year delay in press reports ? )
A drug dealer who imported £30,000 worth of ketamine from India complained to undercover police officers his post was late when the package finally arrived.
Todd Dent had arranged for four boxes of the recreational drug to be sent to two addresses in Weston-super-Mare while he was on holiday in India's clubbing capital Goa. But when customs officers intercepted the drugs, police set up an undercover sting operation to catch him with the drugs red-handed.
Pretending to be Royal Mail workers, they delivered the packages at the end of January last year. When Dent accepted the boxes of drugs, he told them: "I've been waiting for these since Christmas. I've been waiting for these from a friend in Goa."
Dent, 34, of Longton Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, was jailed for 15 months when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court yesterday. He had previously pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of customs and excise, possession of ketamine with intent to supply and possession of diazepam.
James Ward, prosecuting, said: "On January 23, 2009, officers with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs reported a package from Goa. "The package was addressed to Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, and contained two boxes with a crystalline substance. "A second package, addressed to Magnolia Avenue, Weston-super-Mare, arrived later that day and again contained a crystalline substance."
The four boxes contained approximately 500g of ketamine, a class C drug, in each, with an estimated street value of £29,721. Police searched the Alexandra Parade address, which Mr Ward said was a massage parlour and linked to the defendant.
There they found approximately £9,800 worth of the sedative diazepam, a class C drug, and digital scales. When arrested, Dent was caught on CCTV saying he had taken ketamine earlier that day, the court heard.
Dent told officers he had arranged for drugs to be sent over from India, but had expected valium and steroids, not ketamine. Catherine Spedding, defending, said: "Normally he is a hard working man, the proprietor of a business that employs two other people.
"He has built the business up from scratch. He was in great financial difficulty following the break-up of a relationship"
"While on holiday in India, he came into contact with what he believed to be diazapam and foolishly made arrangements for it to be sent.
"The money he was going to get was not going to be used immediately for his own gain."
A drug dealer who imported £30,000 worth of ketamine from India complained to undercover police officers his post was late when the package finally arrived.
Todd Dent had arranged for four boxes of the recreational drug to be sent to two addresses in Weston-super-Mare while he was on holiday in India's clubbing capital Goa. But when customs officers intercepted the drugs, police set up an undercover sting operation to catch him with the drugs red-handed.
Pretending to be Royal Mail workers, they delivered the packages at the end of January last year. When Dent accepted the boxes of drugs, he told them: "I've been waiting for these since Christmas. I've been waiting for these from a friend in Goa."
Dent, 34, of Longton Grove Road, Weston-super-Mare, was jailed for 15 months when he appeared at Bristol Crown Court yesterday. He had previously pleaded guilty to fraudulent evasion of customs and excise, possession of ketamine with intent to supply and possession of diazepam.
James Ward, prosecuting, said: "On January 23, 2009, officers with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs reported a package from Goa. "The package was addressed to Alexandra Parade, Weston-super-Mare, and contained two boxes with a crystalline substance. "A second package, addressed to Magnolia Avenue, Weston-super-Mare, arrived later that day and again contained a crystalline substance."
The four boxes contained approximately 500g of ketamine, a class C drug, in each, with an estimated street value of £29,721. Police searched the Alexandra Parade address, which Mr Ward said was a massage parlour and linked to the defendant.
There they found approximately £9,800 worth of the sedative diazepam, a class C drug, and digital scales. When arrested, Dent was caught on CCTV saying he had taken ketamine earlier that day, the court heard.
Dent told officers he had arranged for drugs to be sent over from India, but had expected valium and steroids, not ketamine. Catherine Spedding, defending, said: "Normally he is a hard working man, the proprietor of a business that employs two other people.
"He has built the business up from scratch. He was in great financial difficulty following the break-up of a relationship"
"While on holiday in India, he came into contact with what he believed to be diazapam and foolishly made arrangements for it to be sent.
"The money he was going to get was not going to be used immediately for his own gain."
Weight loss hormone HCG banned but still popular.
The bald, pot-bellied man walked into the Revive Weight Loss Clinic and asked a female employee wearing scrubs whether he and his wife could get on the HCG weight loss diet advertised on the clinic's Web site.
Not only did the employee say the man and his wife could do so at the clinic, located directly across from MountainView Hospital, she pointed out that her svelte figure and those of her colleagues were a result of the HCG diet.
Forty weeks of a daily regimen of HCG would cost around $550, she said; 26 weeks, about $300. "It will be up to the doctor to determine how much you need," she said, giving the man who appeared to be a potential client a brochure while explaining how HCG works in conjunction with a 500-calorie-a-day diet.
Since the 2007 publication of controversial infomercial king Kevin Trudeau's best-selling book on HCG, "The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You To Know About," it hasn't been difficult to find doctors and clinics cross the United States selling the diet.
More than a half century ago, a British researcher, Dr. Albert B. Simeons, argued that injections of HCG would allow dieters to exist comfortably on a 500-calorie daily diet, a claim later largely discredited by a series of studies by scientists worldwide.
That the HCG weight loss diet is available in Nevada may seem strange when this fact is considered: It is illegal in the Silver State for a physician to prescribe HCG for weight loss. Yet Las Vegas doctors and clinics advertise what is a synthetic version of the hormone as a way to lose up to 30 pounds in a month. HCG is legal in many other states.
Las Vegas plastic surgeon Terry Higgins touts the diet in the latest edition of the glossy "Las Vegas Woman" magazine, writing that the "regimen has continually shown a weight loss of between 1-2 pounds a day."
Not only did the employee say the man and his wife could do so at the clinic, located directly across from MountainView Hospital, she pointed out that her svelte figure and those of her colleagues were a result of the HCG diet.
Forty weeks of a daily regimen of HCG would cost around $550, she said; 26 weeks, about $300. "It will be up to the doctor to determine how much you need," she said, giving the man who appeared to be a potential client a brochure while explaining how HCG works in conjunction with a 500-calorie-a-day diet.
Since the 2007 publication of controversial infomercial king Kevin Trudeau's best-selling book on HCG, "The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You To Know About," it hasn't been difficult to find doctors and clinics cross the United States selling the diet.
More than a half century ago, a British researcher, Dr. Albert B. Simeons, argued that injections of HCG would allow dieters to exist comfortably on a 500-calorie daily diet, a claim later largely discredited by a series of studies by scientists worldwide.
That the HCG weight loss diet is available in Nevada may seem strange when this fact is considered: It is illegal in the Silver State for a physician to prescribe HCG for weight loss. Yet Las Vegas doctors and clinics advertise what is a synthetic version of the hormone as a way to lose up to 30 pounds in a month. HCG is legal in many other states.
Las Vegas plastic surgeon Terry Higgins touts the diet in the latest edition of the glossy "Las Vegas Woman" magazine, writing that the "regimen has continually shown a weight loss of between 1-2 pounds a day."
Balkan Pharmaceuticals donates products to Moldovan oncology hospital.
Prime Minister Vlad Filat today participated in a ceremony of donating a consignment of medication to the Chisinau-based Oncology Institute, the government's press service has said.
The consignment worth 7.099 million lei contains seven types of hormonal preparations and was given by the commercial society Balkan Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Health Minister Vladimir Hotineanu thanked the company for the donation. He specified that the medication will be given free of charge to treat patients of the Oncology Institute and the ones treated in other hospitals.
"The oncology pathology is one of the most spread in Moldova and the treatment is costly. On this ground, the offered medicines are very necessary and welcome," the health minister said.
A manager of Balkan Pharmaceutical Ltd, Silviu Chiru, said that, by this donation, the company wants to help people ill with oncology diseases in Moldova. He voiced confidence that the medication will contribute to an efficient treatment of the patients.
Prime Minister Vlad Filat thanked for the donation. He stressed that, by this action, the company gives hope to people at risk.
"Moldova goes through a difficult period, and unfortunately, with poor budgetary possibilities. Therefore, such a gesture is not only welcome, but also helpful," Vlad Filat stressed.
The prime minister thanked the doctors of the Oncology Institute for their efforts, as well as for their attitude.
"You give hope to Moldova's residents by your work and we are grateful to you for this," the prime minister said.
Vlad Filat said that he wants to visit the Oncology Institute very soon again, so as to discuss details about the healthcare system, current problems and actions due to be implemented.
The consignment worth 7.099 million lei contains seven types of hormonal preparations and was given by the commercial society Balkan Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Health Minister Vladimir Hotineanu thanked the company for the donation. He specified that the medication will be given free of charge to treat patients of the Oncology Institute and the ones treated in other hospitals.
"The oncology pathology is one of the most spread in Moldova and the treatment is costly. On this ground, the offered medicines are very necessary and welcome," the health minister said.
A manager of Balkan Pharmaceutical Ltd, Silviu Chiru, said that, by this donation, the company wants to help people ill with oncology diseases in Moldova. He voiced confidence that the medication will contribute to an efficient treatment of the patients.
Prime Minister Vlad Filat thanked for the donation. He stressed that, by this action, the company gives hope to people at risk.
"Moldova goes through a difficult period, and unfortunately, with poor budgetary possibilities. Therefore, such a gesture is not only welcome, but also helpful," Vlad Filat stressed.
The prime minister thanked the doctors of the Oncology Institute for their efforts, as well as for their attitude.
"You give hope to Moldova's residents by your work and we are grateful to you for this," the prime minister said.
Vlad Filat said that he wants to visit the Oncology Institute very soon again, so as to discuss details about the healthcare system, current problems and actions due to be implemented.
More Anti steroid propaganda from Britain's BBC.
"My mate was taking steroids and he was getting bigger and bigger, and then another friend started them and I felt sort of left out. That's why I started." Jack was 18 when he first took steroids and conscious of the perceived benefits of honing a chiselled body. "Women generally like defined, big blokes. It's like going back to caveman times - I'm the king of the castle. "You're at a gym, you're like 'aah, I'm lifting more than him, he's nothing'."
I was getting anger problems; I would suddenly lash out at my friends if they just said the wrong thing to me Jack.
Many users purchase their steroids online, including Jack. He told Radio 5live's Donal MacIntyre programme: "I went on the site, ordered them, really easy, shocking really. All you had to do was tick a box that you were over 18. "You could be eight years old and tick that box as long as you can read and write and understand what's going on. "Six days later they were delivered to my door."
But Jack liked the results he was seeing so much he quickly began to take double the recommended dosage. It was then that he started to suffer physical and psychological side-effects. "I was getting anger problems; I would suddenly lash out at my friends if they just said the wrong thing to me. "Before I had really thick hair and whilst I was on them I noticed my hair went thinner and thinner. I'm receding and I'm only 20. "Then I ended up developing breast tissue."
After an emergency trip to hospital, for an incident unrelated to his steroid use, Jack finally had to admit taking the drugs to a concerned doctor who noticed he had a damaged liver. This shocked his mother, Sandra, who was completely unaware her son was taking steroids. "I thought his moodswings were typical teenage adolescent behaviour. "Obviously I was aware he was getting bigger and bigger but he was, to be fair, working hard at the gym as well." "It hadn't rung alarm bells, but perhaps it should have with me." Jack's parents gave him an ultimatum to give up his steroid use or leave home. Jack abided by his parents wishes and now trains without the help of steroids.
Story from BBC news.
I was getting anger problems; I would suddenly lash out at my friends if they just said the wrong thing to me Jack.
Many users purchase their steroids online, including Jack. He told Radio 5live's Donal MacIntyre programme: "I went on the site, ordered them, really easy, shocking really. All you had to do was tick a box that you were over 18. "You could be eight years old and tick that box as long as you can read and write and understand what's going on. "Six days later they were delivered to my door."
But Jack liked the results he was seeing so much he quickly began to take double the recommended dosage. It was then that he started to suffer physical and psychological side-effects. "I was getting anger problems; I would suddenly lash out at my friends if they just said the wrong thing to me. "Before I had really thick hair and whilst I was on them I noticed my hair went thinner and thinner. I'm receding and I'm only 20. "Then I ended up developing breast tissue."
After an emergency trip to hospital, for an incident unrelated to his steroid use, Jack finally had to admit taking the drugs to a concerned doctor who noticed he had a damaged liver. This shocked his mother, Sandra, who was completely unaware her son was taking steroids. "I thought his moodswings were typical teenage adolescent behaviour. "Obviously I was aware he was getting bigger and bigger but he was, to be fair, working hard at the gym as well." "It hadn't rung alarm bells, but perhaps it should have with me." Jack's parents gave him an ultimatum to give up his steroid use or leave home. Jack abided by his parents wishes and now trains without the help of steroids.
Story from BBC news.
Man on probation receives prison for possession.
A judge Thursday sentenced a Casper man to three to five years in prison for felony possession of steroids.
Police arrested Thomas Sage Hallock last October after probation officers said they found steroids at his home.
The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge in December, and Natrona County District Judge Scott Skavdahl announced his sentence Thursday.
According to a police, Hallock, after learning that probation and parole officers were at his residence in October, called his girlfriend and told her to go home and throw several fluid-filled vials in the trash. Probation officers waiting outside the residence watched the woman throw several vials, some of which were labeled "testosterone," into a trash can outside, along with syringes.
Hallock told officers the steroids allegedly found in the home -- approximately 122 grams with packaging -- were from the last time he "got busted" and he had yet to dispose of them, according to police.
Police arrested Thomas Sage Hallock last October after probation officers said they found steroids at his home.
The 32-year-old pleaded guilty to the charge in December, and Natrona County District Judge Scott Skavdahl announced his sentence Thursday.
According to a police, Hallock, after learning that probation and parole officers were at his residence in October, called his girlfriend and told her to go home and throw several fluid-filled vials in the trash. Probation officers waiting outside the residence watched the woman throw several vials, some of which were labeled "testosterone," into a trash can outside, along with syringes.
Hallock told officers the steroids allegedly found in the home -- approximately 122 grams with packaging -- were from the last time he "got busted" and he had yet to dispose of them, according to police.
Polish bodybuilder dies after ignoring Doctor's advice, steroids blamed rather than his bad decisions.
Marcin Antoni Kladiwo from Salisbury Street, Shotton was a gym enthusiast who was in the process of applying for his door staff licence.
The 29-year-old Polish national had been taking a cocktail of food supplements, protein shakes and steroids before his sudden death on September 25.
John Hughes, coroner for North East Wales, told the inquest at Flint that Mr Kladiwo had a family history of heart disease.
Reading from a statement from girlfriend Christina Place, Mr Hughes said: “Marcin was very fit and he trained three times a week. He was conscious of what he ate and he didn’t drink alcohol. He drank protein shakes and took vitamin pills and also took steroids.”
The court heard Mr Kladiwo began injecting himself with steroids in February last year but switched to a tablet form after he complained of abdominal pains.
Mr Hughes added: “The first time Marcin injected himself with steroids, he felt unwell and his face was red.
“His eyes were bloodshot and he said he had taken double the dose.
“We went to bed and at four o’clock in the morning he woke up and asked for a sandwich. He said his heart was racing and he thought he was having a heart attack.”
An ambulance took Mr Kladiwo to Wrexham Maelor hospital where he had blood tests.
Hospital staff wanted him to remain on the ward for further tests but Mr Kladiwo discharged himself, the court heard.
“He was at home in Shotton on the day he died,” said Mr Hughes. “His brother Adrian had a phone call from Marcin to say he was feeling unwell. Adrian came home to the house they shared and saw that Marcin was vomiting in the toilet and was pale and sweaty.
“His brother called an ambulance and as paramedics were speaking to Marcin, he collapsed on the floor.”
Mr Kladiwo was rushed to the Countess of Chester hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Forensic officers discovered a number of supplements in his bedroom, including a bag of loose brown capsules in his bedside drawer that could not be identified.
Giving evidence Dr Will Kenyon, who performed a post mortem examination, confirmed the cause of death was a heart attack due to steroid abuse.
Mr Hughes, who recorded an accidental death verdict, said: “Often for weight lifters, they take steroids to bulk themselves up. We can never know how many steroids Marcin took because we we’re never there to see.
“He clearly had difficulties with his heart but the steroid abuse was the ultimate factor here.
"I don’t think for one second that he intended to take his own life, but he must have appreciated what he was doing.”
Story from Britain's Leader Live.
The 29-year-old Polish national had been taking a cocktail of food supplements, protein shakes and steroids before his sudden death on September 25.
John Hughes, coroner for North East Wales, told the inquest at Flint that Mr Kladiwo had a family history of heart disease.
Reading from a statement from girlfriend Christina Place, Mr Hughes said: “Marcin was very fit and he trained three times a week. He was conscious of what he ate and he didn’t drink alcohol. He drank protein shakes and took vitamin pills and also took steroids.”
The court heard Mr Kladiwo began injecting himself with steroids in February last year but switched to a tablet form after he complained of abdominal pains.
Mr Hughes added: “The first time Marcin injected himself with steroids, he felt unwell and his face was red.
“His eyes were bloodshot and he said he had taken double the dose.
“We went to bed and at four o’clock in the morning he woke up and asked for a sandwich. He said his heart was racing and he thought he was having a heart attack.”
An ambulance took Mr Kladiwo to Wrexham Maelor hospital where he had blood tests.
Hospital staff wanted him to remain on the ward for further tests but Mr Kladiwo discharged himself, the court heard.
“He was at home in Shotton on the day he died,” said Mr Hughes. “His brother Adrian had a phone call from Marcin to say he was feeling unwell. Adrian came home to the house they shared and saw that Marcin was vomiting in the toilet and was pale and sweaty.
“His brother called an ambulance and as paramedics were speaking to Marcin, he collapsed on the floor.”
Mr Kladiwo was rushed to the Countess of Chester hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Forensic officers discovered a number of supplements in his bedroom, including a bag of loose brown capsules in his bedside drawer that could not be identified.
Giving evidence Dr Will Kenyon, who performed a post mortem examination, confirmed the cause of death was a heart attack due to steroid abuse.
Mr Hughes, who recorded an accidental death verdict, said: “Often for weight lifters, they take steroids to bulk themselves up. We can never know how many steroids Marcin took because we we’re never there to see.
“He clearly had difficulties with his heart but the steroid abuse was the ultimate factor here.
"I don’t think for one second that he intended to take his own life, but he must have appreciated what he was doing.”
Story from Britain's Leader Live.
British anti-doping authorities to give athletes biological passports for 2012.
British anti-doping authorities will issue the country's athletes with so-called biological passports in an effort to further deter the use of banned substances in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics.
UK Anti-Doping announced the scheme, which is similar to the one used by the International Cycling Union to monitor professional riders, on Friday in collaboration with the WADA-accredited laboratory at King's College London.
The King's College London Drug Control Centre is the only lab in Britain accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Traditional anti-doping tests compare the level of substances in samples against the average across an entire population. The new system of blood tests enables scientists to measure results against athletes' individual norms to spot unusual readings.
Story from the Canadian Press via google.
UK Anti-Doping announced the scheme, which is similar to the one used by the International Cycling Union to monitor professional riders, on Friday in collaboration with the WADA-accredited laboratory at King's College London.
The King's College London Drug Control Centre is the only lab in Britain accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Traditional anti-doping tests compare the level of substances in samples against the average across an entire population. The new system of blood tests enables scientists to measure results against athletes' individual norms to spot unusual readings.
Story from the Canadian Press via google.
Irish customs seized 42,000 tablets in 2009 internet drug clampdown.
More than 42,000 potentially illegal and harmful tablets were seized by health chiefs, gardai and customs last year, it was revealed today.
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) said the haul was recovered after authorities joined an Interpol clampdown on internet drugs suppliers for the second year running.
The Operation Pangea II week of action in November targeted the online sale of counterfeit and illicit medicines in 24 countries.
“When you purchase medicinal products online there is no way of knowing whether they contain what they claim,” he said.
“At best you are wasting your money but the real risk is that you could be taking something which has not enough medicine in it to treat your condition or it could contain too much medicine or other ingredients which could seriously damage your health.”
The IMB’s annual report for 2009 revealed the number of enforcement cases launched over breaches in medicines law more than doubled on the previous year.
At the end of 2009 it had 3,037 cases on its books compared to 1,397 a year earlier.
The IMB said the increase was down to improved co-operation between customs, gardai and the board as they targeted illegal internet suppliers.
Two websites, linked to the online trade and hosted by businesses in Dublin and Kerry, were shut down in 2009 as part of Operation Pangea.
That year a total of 299,053 tablets, 55,789 capsules, 24 litres of liquids and 36.5kg of creams were seized by the IMB.
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) said the haul was recovered after authorities joined an Interpol clampdown on internet drugs suppliers for the second year running.
The Operation Pangea II week of action in November targeted the online sale of counterfeit and illicit medicines in 24 countries.
“When you purchase medicinal products online there is no way of knowing whether they contain what they claim,” he said.
“At best you are wasting your money but the real risk is that you could be taking something which has not enough medicine in it to treat your condition or it could contain too much medicine or other ingredients which could seriously damage your health.”
The IMB’s annual report for 2009 revealed the number of enforcement cases launched over breaches in medicines law more than doubled on the previous year.
At the end of 2009 it had 3,037 cases on its books compared to 1,397 a year earlier.
The IMB said the increase was down to improved co-operation between customs, gardai and the board as they targeted illegal internet suppliers.
Two websites, linked to the online trade and hosted by businesses in Dublin and Kerry, were shut down in 2009 as part of Operation Pangea.
That year a total of 299,053 tablets, 55,789 capsules, 24 litres of liquids and 36.5kg of creams were seized by the IMB.
American drug counterfeiter gets 9 years in prison.
A former Weston millionaire who headed a group that peddled tens of millions of dollars in counterfeit prescription drugs nationwide was sentenced Friday to nine years in state prison.
Michael Carlow, 57, had pleaded guilty to racketeering, fraud and 17 other counts in connection with selling adulterated cancer, HIV and other drugs into mainstream pharmacy supplies, including $42 million worth of bogus cholesterol drug Lipitor. The volume of activity touched off a statewide crackdown on the wholesale drug trade in South Florida.
Broward Circuit Judge Carlos Rodriguez sentenced Carlow to the jail time, plus 10 years probation and a $40,000 fine, said Oscar Gelpi of the Office of Statewide Prosecution. Carlow has been in jail since his 20-person ring was busted in 2003, on the state charges and related federal charges in Missouri.
His mother-in-law and brother-in-law, who were charged with being part of the operation, are set for trial in March.
Story from Florida's Sun Sentinel.
Michael Carlow, 57, had pleaded guilty to racketeering, fraud and 17 other counts in connection with selling adulterated cancer, HIV and other drugs into mainstream pharmacy supplies, including $42 million worth of bogus cholesterol drug Lipitor. The volume of activity touched off a statewide crackdown on the wholesale drug trade in South Florida.
Broward Circuit Judge Carlos Rodriguez sentenced Carlow to the jail time, plus 10 years probation and a $40,000 fine, said Oscar Gelpi of the Office of Statewide Prosecution. Carlow has been in jail since his 20-person ring was busted in 2003, on the state charges and related federal charges in Missouri.
His mother-in-law and brother-in-law, who were charged with being part of the operation, are set for trial in March.
Story from Florida's Sun Sentinel.
Bodybuilder Anthony Cuppari pleads guilty.
A key figure arrested in connection with an illegal steroid manufacturing and distribution ring in the Hanovers and Florham Park pleaded guilty today to distributing steroids to a juvenile and distributing cocaine to an adult.
Bodybuilder Anthony Cuppari, 27, of East Hanover, now faces being sentenced on April 9 to up to 10 years in prison.
Cuppari was among 16 people arrested in March 2007 in a case stemming from an investigation that began in November 2006. That probe centered on Cuppari and his best friend, Michael Dente, also a bodybuilder of East Hanover, and their charges included using Dente's basement to manufacture the steroids, authorities have said.
Cuppari is the last of the group to have entered a guilty plea in the case during the past two years.
The only other co-defendant whose sentencing is pending, professional bodybuilder Jason Arntz of South Brunswick, who pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to manufacture steroids.
Arntz had provided the expertise for manufacturing the steroids, although Cuppari and Dente also got information off the Web, authorities had said.
But Cuppari, a personal trainer who had been a volunteer assistant Hanover Park high school football coach, is the only one of the group who pleaded guilty to distributing steroids to a minor, and the only one to face an enhanced penalty. Cuppari pleaded guilty to a pair of third-degree charges: distribution of anabolic steroids to a juvenile and conspiracy to distribute one gram of cocaine to his then-girlfriend, an adult.
The juvenile, a then-17-year-old member of the Hanover Park High football team, also had been accused of buying gamma hydroxybuterate (GHB) from Cuppari, authorities had said.
Bodybuilder Anthony Cuppari, 27, of East Hanover, now faces being sentenced on April 9 to up to 10 years in prison.
Cuppari was among 16 people arrested in March 2007 in a case stemming from an investigation that began in November 2006. That probe centered on Cuppari and his best friend, Michael Dente, also a bodybuilder of East Hanover, and their charges included using Dente's basement to manufacture the steroids, authorities have said.
Cuppari is the last of the group to have entered a guilty plea in the case during the past two years.
The only other co-defendant whose sentencing is pending, professional bodybuilder Jason Arntz of South Brunswick, who pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to manufacture steroids.
Arntz had provided the expertise for manufacturing the steroids, although Cuppari and Dente also got information off the Web, authorities had said.
But Cuppari, a personal trainer who had been a volunteer assistant Hanover Park high school football coach, is the only one of the group who pleaded guilty to distributing steroids to a minor, and the only one to face an enhanced penalty. Cuppari pleaded guilty to a pair of third-degree charges: distribution of anabolic steroids to a juvenile and conspiracy to distribute one gram of cocaine to his then-girlfriend, an adult.
The juvenile, a then-17-year-old member of the Hanover Park High football team, also had been accused of buying gamma hydroxybuterate (GHB) from Cuppari, authorities had said.
Mobile steroids case in jury's hands; pharmacy accused of supplying star athletes.
The jury in a Mobile steroids case began deliberating Wednesday after hearing from the last two lawyers.
Attorneys for two of the men accused of helping to orchestrate a nationwide conspiracy centered on a Mobile compounding pharmacy told jurors during closing arguments that their clients could not be held responsible for the conduct of three doctors who prescribed anabolic steroids.
Brett W. Branch, who previously worked as a salesman for Applied Pharmacy Services in Mobile, later founded a company called Infinite Health in Eaton, Colo.
According to testimony at the trial, Infinite Health paid three doctors, Kelly Wade Tucker, Kenneth M. Olds and Scott A. Corliss, to write prescriptions for steroids to customers that Branch recruited from gyms, spas and health clubs. Among Infinite Health's customers, according to testimony, was the police chief of Cheyenne, Wyo.
But Branch's attorney, Dennis Knizley, said his client ran a legitimate business and that the decision to prescribe steroids rested with the physicians, who conducted physicals and blood tests of the buyers.
"It is uncontroverted that these doctors were respected. They were real doctors with real patients," Knizley said. "It is uncontroverted that these doctors wrote these prescriptions of their own discretion."
Attorney Richard Alexander struck a similar note on behalf of his client, Ronald E. Winter, a Colorado sheriff's deputy who originally sought treatment for a bad back and ended up becoming a part owner and employee of Branch's company.
"Ron Winter is not a doctor. He's not a pharmacist. He's a layman," Alexander said. "How in the world would he know there was something wrong with that prescription?"
According to evidence at the trial, Branch earned commissions for steroids customers that he referred to Applied Pharmacy.
His ex-wife testified that his commitment to steroids ran so deep that he was prepared to inject his own children with steroids -- to help his 13-year-old daughter perform better in volleyball and prevent his 11-year-old boy from being chubby.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Dobbins told jurors Wednesday that the defendants constructed a series of sham memos and meetings to make it appear as though they were complying with the law.
"It's not what the defendants said, it's what they did," she said.
Attorneys for two of the men accused of helping to orchestrate a nationwide conspiracy centered on a Mobile compounding pharmacy told jurors during closing arguments that their clients could not be held responsible for the conduct of three doctors who prescribed anabolic steroids.
Brett W. Branch, who previously worked as a salesman for Applied Pharmacy Services in Mobile, later founded a company called Infinite Health in Eaton, Colo.
According to testimony at the trial, Infinite Health paid three doctors, Kelly Wade Tucker, Kenneth M. Olds and Scott A. Corliss, to write prescriptions for steroids to customers that Branch recruited from gyms, spas and health clubs. Among Infinite Health's customers, according to testimony, was the police chief of Cheyenne, Wyo.
But Branch's attorney, Dennis Knizley, said his client ran a legitimate business and that the decision to prescribe steroids rested with the physicians, who conducted physicals and blood tests of the buyers.
"It is uncontroverted that these doctors were respected. They were real doctors with real patients," Knizley said. "It is uncontroverted that these doctors wrote these prescriptions of their own discretion."
Attorney Richard Alexander struck a similar note on behalf of his client, Ronald E. Winter, a Colorado sheriff's deputy who originally sought treatment for a bad back and ended up becoming a part owner and employee of Branch's company.
"Ron Winter is not a doctor. He's not a pharmacist. He's a layman," Alexander said. "How in the world would he know there was something wrong with that prescription?"
According to evidence at the trial, Branch earned commissions for steroids customers that he referred to Applied Pharmacy.
His ex-wife testified that his commitment to steroids ran so deep that he was prepared to inject his own children with steroids -- to help his 13-year-old daughter perform better in volleyball and prevent his 11-year-old boy from being chubby.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Dobbins told jurors Wednesday that the defendants constructed a series of sham memos and meetings to make it appear as though they were complying with the law.
"It's not what the defendants said, it's what they did," she said.
High altitude causes weight loss without exercise.
Just a week at high altitudes can cause sustained weight loss, suggesting that a mountain retreat could be a viable strategy for slimming down.
Overweight, sedentary people who spent a week at an elevation of 8,700 feet lost weight while eating as much as they wanted and doing no exercise. A month after they came back down, they had kept two-thirds of those pounds off. The results appear in the Feb. 4 Obesity.
“What is nice about this paper, is that it clearly demonstrates that there’s a lasting effect of decreased caloric intake, that people eat less even a month after they come out of high altitude,” said Massachusetts General Hospital anesthesiologist Kay Leissner, who studies high altitude physiology, but was not involved in the study.
Story from Wired Magazine.
Overweight, sedentary people who spent a week at an elevation of 8,700 feet lost weight while eating as much as they wanted and doing no exercise. A month after they came back down, they had kept two-thirds of those pounds off. The results appear in the Feb. 4 Obesity.
“What is nice about this paper, is that it clearly demonstrates that there’s a lasting effect of decreased caloric intake, that people eat less even a month after they come out of high altitude,” said Massachusetts General Hospital anesthesiologist Kay Leissner, who studies high altitude physiology, but was not involved in the study.
Story from Wired Magazine.
Politician's ex-wife accuses him of steroid and creatine use :-)
Gov. Quinn's embattled running mate, Scott Lee Cohen, allegedly abused anabolic steroids, displayed fits of rage and forced himself sexually on his ex-wife before their divorce, court documents reviewed by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Those explosive allegations about Cohen’s "erratic" behavior come from his ex-wife and are contained in the couple's divorce file in legal documents that were part of an order of protection she sought in 2005.
The woman described life with the millionaire pawnbroker as "pretty unbearable" and said that she lived "in constant fear of him," according to the court records.
"Over the past year, my husband has been taking injectable anabolic steroids, including but not limited to Winstrol, Cretine, and Steen. And as a result, he has an erratic, explosive temper," she alleged.
Story from Chicago's Sun Times.
Those explosive allegations about Cohen’s "erratic" behavior come from his ex-wife and are contained in the couple's divorce file in legal documents that were part of an order of protection she sought in 2005.
The woman described life with the millionaire pawnbroker as "pretty unbearable" and said that she lived "in constant fear of him," according to the court records.
"Over the past year, my husband has been taking injectable anabolic steroids, including but not limited to Winstrol, Cretine, and Steen. And as a result, he has an erratic, explosive temper," she alleged.
Story from Chicago's Sun Times.
Steroids used as an excuse for speed addiction in British court case.
"As a very young man he was a bodybuilder and he took steroids to put on bulk. At the same time he took amphetamine because when you reduce the steroids it keeps excess weight off. Twenty years down the line he now finds he has a physical dependence on it."
Veterinary surgeon from Essex, UK in trouble due to dodgy steroid prescriptions.
The Disciplinary Committee heard evidence from a pharmacist, Mr Noble, to whom Mr Lockyear had presented an incomplete veterinary prescription for 12 ampoules of Sustanon, a prescription-only anabolic steroid for humans, and a further pharmacist, Mr Foskett MRPharmS, who outlined his suspicions that the steroids were in fact for Mr Lockyear's personal use (Sustanon is a substance which can potentially be misused in relation to body-building). Mr Lockyear had originally claimed the drugs were for general stock at the practice; he later returned with a second prescription, for double the amount of Sustanon, claiming it was for his own dog; later again, he said the prescription was for a friend's dog.
The dangers of DIY Botox.
EXCLUSIVE The number of people wanting cosmetic procedures is rocketing and some are even injecting themselves with cut-price drugs bought online. But they could end up paying dearly.
Don't try this at home. Buying black market Botox online and injecting yourself could seriously harm your looks or endanger your life.
And yet those in search of cut-price, wrinkle-smoothing shots are turning to the internet for cheap DIY filler kits - often with devastating results.
Paralysis, lop-sided lips, droopy eyelids, blistered and infected facial sores and even admission to intensive care are some of things that can happen after using dodgy jabs.
Doctors fear it is only a matter of time before someone pays for budget Botox with their life.
Dr Aamer Khan, of London's Harley Street Medical Skin Clinic, trains medical practitioners to use cosmetic drugs such as Botox. But he believes people are blind to its potentially deadly effects and see only the knock-down price.
"The first thing to say about Botulinum-A Toxin (Botox) is that it is the most toxic substance known to mankind," says Dr Khan. "One teaspoon could kill 90 billion people. It could wipe out the world's population, which is why it was considered a biological weapon.
Yourlife: Botox
"Botox has become part of our culture because it's used cosmetically, but it's used in tiny, strictly-measured doses and is stringently tested. Using it without anatomical knowledge, without knowing the exact quality of the product, could be fatal."
In the UK it is illegal to advertise prescription-only medications like Botox, and to sell them without a prescription. But foreign websites can dodge the ban. And after a few clicks on a computer, vials of facial filler drugs complete with syringes can be shipped to your door.
Online pharmacy ads do their best to lure customers, with slogans such as "Wrinkles? No! Savings? Yes!".
They give false assurances that injecting yourself is easy as well as economical. Don't know where to stick the syringe? A facial map and online video will point out where to position your needle. Can't afford the £200-a-shot clinic prices? Buy a kit online for five times cheaper at £350 for 10 DIY jabs.
But what the sites don't state is that many users go on to spend fortunes with qualified surgeons to correct their botched efforts.
Story from Briton's Mirror Newspaper.
Don't try this at home. Buying black market Botox online and injecting yourself could seriously harm your looks or endanger your life.
And yet those in search of cut-price, wrinkle-smoothing shots are turning to the internet for cheap DIY filler kits - often with devastating results.
Paralysis, lop-sided lips, droopy eyelids, blistered and infected facial sores and even admission to intensive care are some of things that can happen after using dodgy jabs.
Doctors fear it is only a matter of time before someone pays for budget Botox with their life.
Dr Aamer Khan, of London's Harley Street Medical Skin Clinic, trains medical practitioners to use cosmetic drugs such as Botox. But he believes people are blind to its potentially deadly effects and see only the knock-down price.
"The first thing to say about Botulinum-A Toxin (Botox) is that it is the most toxic substance known to mankind," says Dr Khan. "One teaspoon could kill 90 billion people. It could wipe out the world's population, which is why it was considered a biological weapon.
Yourlife: Botox
"Botox has become part of our culture because it's used cosmetically, but it's used in tiny, strictly-measured doses and is stringently tested. Using it without anatomical knowledge, without knowing the exact quality of the product, could be fatal."
In the UK it is illegal to advertise prescription-only medications like Botox, and to sell them without a prescription. But foreign websites can dodge the ban. And after a few clicks on a computer, vials of facial filler drugs complete with syringes can be shipped to your door.
Online pharmacy ads do their best to lure customers, with slogans such as "Wrinkles? No! Savings? Yes!".
They give false assurances that injecting yourself is easy as well as economical. Don't know where to stick the syringe? A facial map and online video will point out where to position your needle. Can't afford the £200-a-shot clinic prices? Buy a kit online for five times cheaper at £350 for 10 DIY jabs.
But what the sites don't state is that many users go on to spend fortunes with qualified surgeons to correct their botched efforts.
Story from Briton's Mirror Newspaper.
Prolor reports positive results in long acting human growth hormone trial.
Drug development company Prolor Biotech Inc. (Bulletin Board: PBTH) today reported positive results from the Phase I clinical trial of its longer-acting version of human growth hormone (hGH-CTP), meeting all safety and tolerability endpoints. The study examined the drug's potential durability (half-life), biological efficacy, and its safety and tolerability.
The trial includes 24 healthy adults who receive one of three doses of hGH-CTP (4mg, 7mg, or 21mg) or a placebo. The potential clinical efficacy of the drug was assessed by measuring the extent to which it induced insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the subjects. This biomarker is the clinically accepted primary indicator of hGH biological activity and is used by endocrinologists to optimize dosing for hGH-deficient adults. Based on this measure, the study results suggest that the daily injections required by patients using conventional hGH could potentially be replaced with just two monthly injections of hGH-CTP.
The trial includes 24 healthy adults who receive one of three doses of hGH-CTP (4mg, 7mg, or 21mg) or a placebo. The potential clinical efficacy of the drug was assessed by measuring the extent to which it induced insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in the subjects. This biomarker is the clinically accepted primary indicator of hGH biological activity and is used by endocrinologists to optimize dosing for hGH-deficient adults. Based on this measure, the study results suggest that the daily injections required by patients using conventional hGH could potentially be replaced with just two monthly injections of hGH-CTP.
Jury finds Cleveland police officer guilty of buying steroids illegally.
A jury found Cleveland police Lt. Anthony Tuleta guilty Tuesday of drug possession and theft for illegally purchasing steroids over the Internet and billing his insurance company.
Tuleta, 51, bought the from Dr. Ramon Scruggs, 62, of Santa Ana, Calif., and submitted bills totaling $95,000 to Medical Mutual.
Tuleta was found guilty by a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court jury of all charges -- six counts of drug possession and one count of theft. He was suspended in November without pay from his job after 27 years with the police department. He faces dismissal at a meeting with the Public Safety Director Martin Flask. The meeting had not been scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon.
Tuleta faces up to 24 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 11 by Judge John O'Donnell.
Scruggs was sentenced last month to three years in prison for prescribing steroids for non-medical reasons. He did so from January 2003 through June 2007, Assistant County Prosecutor James Gutierrez said.
Scruggs pleaded guilty to five counts of drug trafficking.
Former Cleveland firefighter Craig Romey, 39, also bought steroids from Scruggs and billed Medical Mutual. He served 30 days of probation after pleading guilty in May to drug possession.
His driver's license was suspended until Nov. 14. He paid back $22,355 to Medical Mutual and now lives in Las Vegas, according to court records.
Tuleta, 51, bought the from Dr. Ramon Scruggs, 62, of Santa Ana, Calif., and submitted bills totaling $95,000 to Medical Mutual.
Tuleta was found guilty by a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court jury of all charges -- six counts of drug possession and one count of theft. He was suspended in November without pay from his job after 27 years with the police department. He faces dismissal at a meeting with the Public Safety Director Martin Flask. The meeting had not been scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon.
Tuleta faces up to 24 years in prison when he is sentenced on March 11 by Judge John O'Donnell.
Scruggs was sentenced last month to three years in prison for prescribing steroids for non-medical reasons. He did so from January 2003 through June 2007, Assistant County Prosecutor James Gutierrez said.
Scruggs pleaded guilty to five counts of drug trafficking.
Former Cleveland firefighter Craig Romey, 39, also bought steroids from Scruggs and billed Medical Mutual. He served 30 days of probation after pleading guilty in May to drug possession.
His driver's license was suspended until Nov. 14. He paid back $22,355 to Medical Mutual and now lives in Las Vegas, according to court records.
Mobile steroids trial nearing end; Applied Pharmacy charged with supplying star athletes.
It included doctors who agreed to write sham prescriptions and dealers who lured customers looking for shortcuts to buffed bodies, a federal prosecutor in Mobile told jurors during closing arguments in a steroids case today.
The lynchpin in the whole conspiracy, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Dobbins argued, was a compounding pharmacy in Mobile where owners reaped millions of dollars in profits by engaging in "illegal and far-reaching" conduct from 2003 until August 2006.
"Each one of them participated in this conspiracy," she said. "They operated a steroid mill, and they would dispense anabolic steroids to anyone whose credit card was good."
Dobbins reminded jurors of testimony that the company made millions of dollars by selling anabolic steroids -- including some that have been approved only for use in livestock -- to customers came from 41 states.
They ranged from star athletes like former major league baseball slugger Jose Canseco and Olympic gold medal wrestler Kurt Angle to teenagers. Dobbins pointed to testimony from a former employee suggesting that Applied Pharmacy's secretary and part owner, Jason R. Kelley, was well aware of the potential legal problems.
The lynchpin in the whole conspiracy, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Dobbins argued, was a compounding pharmacy in Mobile where owners reaped millions of dollars in profits by engaging in "illegal and far-reaching" conduct from 2003 until August 2006.
"Each one of them participated in this conspiracy," she said. "They operated a steroid mill, and they would dispense anabolic steroids to anyone whose credit card was good."
Dobbins reminded jurors of testimony that the company made millions of dollars by selling anabolic steroids -- including some that have been approved only for use in livestock -- to customers came from 41 states.
They ranged from star athletes like former major league baseball slugger Jose Canseco and Olympic gold medal wrestler Kurt Angle to teenagers. Dobbins pointed to testimony from a former employee suggesting that Applied Pharmacy's secretary and part owner, Jason R. Kelley, was well aware of the potential legal problems.
College Pharmacy ex-owner / operator convicted.
The former owner of a Colorado Springs pharmacy has been convicted of illegally importing and distributing anabolic steroids and Chinese-made human growth hormones.
A federal jury deliberated for parts of three days before convicting Thomas Bader on 31 counts Tuesday. The charges included conspiracy and the distribution of human growth hormones. Bader is expected to be sentenced April 29.
Prosecutors say that while Bader was the owner and operator of College Pharmacy he sold anabolic steroids and growth hormones from China that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Jurors said that Bader should forfeit $4.8 million in assets and the land where the pharmacy was located.
A federal jury deliberated for parts of three days before convicting Thomas Bader on 31 counts Tuesday. The charges included conspiracy and the distribution of human growth hormones. Bader is expected to be sentenced April 29.
Prosecutors say that while Bader was the owner and operator of College Pharmacy he sold anabolic steroids and growth hormones from China that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Jurors said that Bader should forfeit $4.8 million in assets and the land where the pharmacy was located.
Peptide based obesity teatment in development.
"The body is extremely efficient at controlling energy balance," says Seeley, a professor in UC's internal medicine department and recipient of the 2009 Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award from the American Diabetes Association.
"Think of fat tissue like a bathtub," he says. "To keep the amount of water the same, you have to make sure that the speed of the water coming in and the water going out match. If the water is coming in faster than the water is going out, eventually you have to build a bigger bathtub.
"Obesity is the same. People who eat more calories than they burn have to build a bigger fat tissue 'bathtub,' and building new blood vessels is crucial to building this bigger bathtub. For each additional pound of fat tissue, you need to build a mile of blood vessels.
"What we found is that if we can target these fat tissue blood vessels, animals eat less and lose weight as their 'bathtubs' get smaller."
Seeley and his team treated lean and obese mice and rats with the proapoptotic peptide for periods of four or 27 days. They measured energy intake and expenditure daily in all animals -- some on low-fat diets, others on high-fat diets. The team found that the peptide completely reversed high-fat-diet-induced obesity in already obese mice and also reduced body weight in the mice and rats placed on high-fat diets. No changes were recorded in animals on low-fat diets.
Seeley's team found that fat loss was occurring without major changes to energy expenditure, but with reduced food intake. The authors noted that there were no signs of illness with this treatment and results were independent of the actions of the appetite-controlling hormone leptin.
"Think of fat tissue like a bathtub," he says. "To keep the amount of water the same, you have to make sure that the speed of the water coming in and the water going out match. If the water is coming in faster than the water is going out, eventually you have to build a bigger bathtub.
"Obesity is the same. People who eat more calories than they burn have to build a bigger fat tissue 'bathtub,' and building new blood vessels is crucial to building this bigger bathtub. For each additional pound of fat tissue, you need to build a mile of blood vessels.
"What we found is that if we can target these fat tissue blood vessels, animals eat less and lose weight as their 'bathtubs' get smaller."
Seeley and his team treated lean and obese mice and rats with the proapoptotic peptide for periods of four or 27 days. They measured energy intake and expenditure daily in all animals -- some on low-fat diets, others on high-fat diets. The team found that the peptide completely reversed high-fat-diet-induced obesity in already obese mice and also reduced body weight in the mice and rats placed on high-fat diets. No changes were recorded in animals on low-fat diets.
Seeley's team found that fat loss was occurring without major changes to energy expenditure, but with reduced food intake. The authors noted that there were no signs of illness with this treatment and results were independent of the actions of the appetite-controlling hormone leptin.
Repros Therapeutics makes Androxal / Enclomiphene announcement.
Repros Therapeutics Inc. today announced that the Company has received verbal confirmation from the Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products of the Food and Drug Agency that the Company may initiate its Investigational New Drug Application for the study of oral Androxal in the treatment of hypogonadal men with Type II Diabetes (T2D) with a Phase IIa trial.
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