( The steroids found were capsules in unlabeled brown vitamin jars and injectables in unlabeled vials, they claim the source was an overseas one but I think it's more likely they were home brewing from Chinese steroid powders )
Two Floyd County residents and a Florida man are in the Gordon County jail after a two-month investigation that led to the seizure of more than $5,000 worth of anabolic steroids.
The Calhoun Special Operations Division and the Calhoun Police, assisted by the Conasauga Safe Streets Task Force, arrested on Wednesday Justin Pitcock, 21, of 103 Vernon Road in Rome, and Bradley Barto, 25 of 561 West Cypress Ave Springs, Fla. Another suspect, Corey Biggers, 22, of 460 Rosedale Road in Rome, was arrested the following day.
According to Calhoun Police Chief Garry Moss, the arrests came after a two-month long investigation connected to the March arrest of a Calhoun High School student allegedly caught selling steroids on campus.
Moss said an undercover agent was able to negotiate the delivery of the anabolic steroids to a location within the city of Calhoun. When the delivery was made, officers converged on the suspects’ vehicles, resulting in the arrests of Pitcock and Barto.
When officers attempted to arrest Biggers, he fled into the woods, but was apprehended the next day.
Moss said investigators believe that Biggers had been selling steroids to the Calhoun student, and Pitcock had been his supplier.
Biggers is employed by Riviera Gym in Creekview, Fla., where he is a personal trainer, Moss said. Biggers had previously been employed at a gym in Calhoun. The name of that facility has not been released.
All suspects were charged with possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, along with numerous other charges.
The investigation indicated there is an overseas narcotics connection. The investigation continues.
“These men were intending to bring steroids into Calhoun with the intent to sell,” Moss said. “We were stopping the sale of steroid at the original source.”
An additional $5,500 worth of anabolic steroids was seized at Pitcock's home by the Rome-Floyd Metro Task Force, according to Cmdr. Joey Jacobs.
Additional news report :
A Channel 2 Action News camera was rolling as a Calhoun police officer showed off illegal steroids his department confiscated after a two-month-long undercover investigation.
"This is Winstrol and I believe this is called Deca-Durabolin," the officer explained as he pulled 19 unmarked vials and three large bottles of capsules out of a box."
"These are the ... testosterone, estrogen. They have a street value of $5,000," he told Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones.
Police said the men who sold the undercover officer the performance enhancing drugs also sold them to high school students on campuses in three counties: Gordon, Floyd and Bartow. Those students would in turn sell the steroids to other students, who used them to quickly build muscle mass.
Police arrested Corey Biggers, Bradley Barto and Justin Pitcock and charged them with possession with the intent to distribute narcotics.
Officers said the undercover operation began after a Calhoun High School student was arrested on suspicion of selling steroids on campus in March. The undercover officer became friends with the man who supplied the student with the steroids. The officer then arranged to buy steroids from the supplier and police said when Biggers, Bradley and Pitcock showed up with the illegal drugs, Biggers and Pitcock were arrested. Officers said Barto ran away but was arrested the next day when his father brought him in.
Calhoun Police Chief Garry Moss called the arrests significant. But he doesn't believe the fight to keep illegal steroids away from young people is over. "I think we have put a major dent in it. But I don't think we've eradicated it," Moss said.
Students at Calhoun High School applaud the officers' efforts at keeping steroids off their campus. That's a good thing because steroids are illegal and students aren't supposed to use those things," senior class member Antonio Martinez said.
The Drug Enforcement Agency is also investigating and an investigation is getting under way in Florida after authorities said they found out Biggers works at a gym there. Police also said the charges against the men could be enhanced because selling drugs to minors is a federal crime.
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