A Chalmette man was arrested this week after receiving 500 anabolic steroid pills and four vials of testosterone ordered from Greece over the Internet, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office said.
Lance Coopersmith, 22, 3522 Kings Drive, was arrested at his home Monday after a joint investigation by the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, federal authorities and a State Police drug task force, the Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
U.S. Customs Service officials intercepted the package recently and alerted local and state authorities. Coopersmith accepted the package, which was delivered by an undercover U.S. postal inspector, authorities said.
When agents of the sheriff's Special Investigations Division, commanded by Col. Chad Clark, arrived at Coopersmith's residence and served a search warrant they found the package of steroid pills and testosterone had been opened and was on the kitchen counter, St. Bernard Sheriff Jack Stephens said.
The 500 pills and four vials of testosterone have a street value of $5,400, authorities said.
Coopersmith admitted ordering the drugs from Greece via the Internet. He was booked with possession with intent to distribute the steroids and testosterone, Stephens said. He was released from St. Bernard Parish Prison after posting $15,000 bond.
An investigation is continuing into the intended users of the steroids, Stephens said.
Canadian underground steroids lab busted.
Finding an illegal steroid dealer in Edmonton is "easier than finding a pot dealer," according to a former user.
"They're everywhere," said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If you know where to ask around, you'll be hooked up in an hour or two."
That's why he wasn't surprised to hear that city police seized more than $250,000 in steroids and a small amount of counterfeit Viagra, along with nearly $500,000 in cash and property after busting up what they're calling a family-run lab and distribution centre on the north side.
Three houses were raided. Drugs and other evidence were found at a house near 141 Avenue and 136 Street and an apartment at 129 Avenue and 64 Street, while police believe the chemicals were mixed and packaged in a lab at a home near 140 Street and 158A Avenue.
A father, mother, their two adult sons and another man face a laundry list of charges in connection with producing and trafficking controlled substances, along with possessing the proceeds of crime.
Police say they've broken up "an extremely large distribution centre for Edmonton and the surrounding area" that was also a mail-order distributor across Canada.
The entire investigation was a bit of a fluke, said the head of the Edmonton police organized crime branch.
Insp. Greg Preston couldn't give a lot of detail, but said they came across the steroids while conducting another investigation.
"This was a spinoff of that," he said. "We don't typically get involved with steroid files. It's certainly not for a lack of use -- quite clearly. We just don't get that many complaints."
Preston said possessing and using steroids isn't illegal. However, because they're controlled substances, it is a crime to make them and sell them on the street.
"This is a homegrown lab. I'm quite confident Johnson & Johnson wouldn't have pets and food around them in their laboratory," Preston said. "Look at the vials and machinery. It doesn't look too clean."
Among the materials seized was a book entitled Anabolic Steroids and Making Them by Professor Frank. The publisher's website lists it as a do-it-yourself manual, and describes the author as a retired auto worker currently employed at Wal-Mart.
Preston said the accused aren't suspected of using their own products, and while police don't know how long they've been flying under their radar, the suspects "appear well-entrenched."
"It would take some time to accrue these assets," he said, referring to $240,000 in cash found in safe deposit boxes and $230,000 in property, including four high-end and classic cars.
The aforementioned former steroid user, who used them for five years and quit a year ago, said his strength and muscle bulk increased dramatically over time, but they also gave him a hair-trigger temper, depression and acne across his back.
There's such a ram-pant appetite for steroids in Edmonton, he said, that the recent police seizure will hardly affect the market because someone else will just take their place.
The public is more worried about other drugs like cocaine and speed, the man said, because steroid users don't contribute to street crime, like break-ins and car thefts. "They won't break into your home to get their next hit," he said. "But they probably commit more assaults and domestic abuse."
Charged are: Troy Charles Fougere, 26, Trevor Raymond Fougere, 25, Susan Ann Fougere, 52, Charles William Fougere, 53, and Brock Reginald Chichak, 25.
Funny anti-steroids article from the Indian press.
A toned bod with brawny biceps and corrugated abs are a must-have for most aspiring hunks today. And if it means sweating it out in the gym for hours, so be it, they say. But now ‘quick and easy methods’ like pill-popping are tempting fitness buffs into taking shortcuts that could seriously harm their health.
Bodybuilding is big biz. Even young men from small towns are falling prey to the obsession with bodybuilding. Contests like Mr Tamil Nadu, spur dozens of boys to recklessly pursue a muscular body. Oblivious of the fact that along the way, lurk shortcuts that can cause medical problems for the uninformed.
The craze for ‘gymming’ has led to gyms crammed with fancy gadgets and equipped with personal trainers who often hold out a packet of steroids as an incentive for building those muscles quickly.
Sethu from Villupuram, (name changed on request) had come to Chennai to study, but was soon drawn to the posters outside a local gym. “The trainer told me that getting those muscles wouldn’t be difficult. Awed by the muscles and abs, I decided to train under him and he suggested that I take some pills. After a week, when my chest began protruding, another fellow body-builder suggested shots of hard liquor every day to reduce the potency of the drugs,” he recalls.
Those who work on their bodies are also known to abuse synthetic supplements to gain body mass.
Competitions like Mr Tamil Nadu, which are intended to promote bodybuilding in the city, claim that they come down heavily on misuse of medication. Udaya Kumar, Mr Chennai 2009, assures that there is no room for a steroid culture. “I can’t say for sure whether any of the boys take steroids, but we have strict tests, including dope tests. Stringent action is taken against whoever is found guilty.” The cost to the body of regular use of steroids can be high. Side-effects, serious ones, are known to kick in after a lapse of time.
A Chennai-based former bodybuilder now regrets his reckless use of steroids. “Seeing your body grow and become strong is like a kick. Once I saw the difference, I started using larger quantities. Little did I realise the price I would have to pay.”
He continues, “I have been married for two years now and am childless. I have been told I am unable to father a child,” sighs 27-year-old Arvind.
There are unconfirmed reports that excess use of steroids could lead to impotency. Fitness trainer Ajith Shetty explains, “When you artificially inject steroids like synthetic testosterone into the body, after a point of time the body assumes that it will get the hormones from outside and stops producing it internally. There is a cycle that has to be followed in order to flush out the remains of the synthetic hormones from the body, but amateur trainers don’t seem to know the right process.”
Venkatesh A., another fitness enthusiast, reveals that there are an abundance of steroids easily available at most pharmacies. He rattles off, “I-anabol, Primobolan, Anavar, Clenbuterol, Winstrol, Anadrol, Sustanon-100/250,Winstrol, Testosterone – enthanate and Anadriol are easily available over the counter. While protein supplements cost somewhere around Rs 3000, the steroids cost much less, so most of the guys go for the cheaper – and easier way out!”
If not quite Arnold Schwarzenegger, most guys at the gyms are pumping iron and bench-pressing for a Salman Khan physique. As more actors flaunt their six-packs, exercising is playing second fiddle to steroids – the shortcut to ‘hunk heaven’.
Fitness trainer Muhammad Rafeeq reveals, “A lot of the models and actors I train come to me asking for a muscular body in a short span of time. People are willing to bear with the side-effects of pills instead doing the hard work.”
The ill-informed are unaware that these side-effects can be alarming indeed. Nutritionist Shiny Chandran explains, “Excessive use of steroids can damage the liver and lead to excessive libido. Hair fall and joint pains are other common symptoms. These guys should bear in mind that the right diet, recommended by an expert, can help in getting mass without harming the body much.
Also, being fit doesn’t mean that your arms should be more massive than the dumbbells, it’s about feeling good from inside!” Finally, a question for the steroid-poppers — are those six-pack abs, bulging biceps and bulked-up bods, worth the risks?
Bodybuilding is big biz. Even young men from small towns are falling prey to the obsession with bodybuilding. Contests like Mr Tamil Nadu, spur dozens of boys to recklessly pursue a muscular body. Oblivious of the fact that along the way, lurk shortcuts that can cause medical problems for the uninformed.
The craze for ‘gymming’ has led to gyms crammed with fancy gadgets and equipped with personal trainers who often hold out a packet of steroids as an incentive for building those muscles quickly.
Sethu from Villupuram, (name changed on request) had come to Chennai to study, but was soon drawn to the posters outside a local gym. “The trainer told me that getting those muscles wouldn’t be difficult. Awed by the muscles and abs, I decided to train under him and he suggested that I take some pills. After a week, when my chest began protruding, another fellow body-builder suggested shots of hard liquor every day to reduce the potency of the drugs,” he recalls.
Those who work on their bodies are also known to abuse synthetic supplements to gain body mass.
Competitions like Mr Tamil Nadu, which are intended to promote bodybuilding in the city, claim that they come down heavily on misuse of medication. Udaya Kumar, Mr Chennai 2009, assures that there is no room for a steroid culture. “I can’t say for sure whether any of the boys take steroids, but we have strict tests, including dope tests. Stringent action is taken against whoever is found guilty.” The cost to the body of regular use of steroids can be high. Side-effects, serious ones, are known to kick in after a lapse of time.
A Chennai-based former bodybuilder now regrets his reckless use of steroids. “Seeing your body grow and become strong is like a kick. Once I saw the difference, I started using larger quantities. Little did I realise the price I would have to pay.”
He continues, “I have been married for two years now and am childless. I have been told I am unable to father a child,” sighs 27-year-old Arvind.
There are unconfirmed reports that excess use of steroids could lead to impotency. Fitness trainer Ajith Shetty explains, “When you artificially inject steroids like synthetic testosterone into the body, after a point of time the body assumes that it will get the hormones from outside and stops producing it internally. There is a cycle that has to be followed in order to flush out the remains of the synthetic hormones from the body, but amateur trainers don’t seem to know the right process.”
Venkatesh A., another fitness enthusiast, reveals that there are an abundance of steroids easily available at most pharmacies. He rattles off, “I-anabol, Primobolan, Anavar, Clenbuterol, Winstrol, Anadrol, Sustanon-100/250,Winstrol, Testosterone – enthanate and Anadriol are easily available over the counter. While protein supplements cost somewhere around Rs 3000, the steroids cost much less, so most of the guys go for the cheaper – and easier way out!”
If not quite Arnold Schwarzenegger, most guys at the gyms are pumping iron and bench-pressing for a Salman Khan physique. As more actors flaunt their six-packs, exercising is playing second fiddle to steroids – the shortcut to ‘hunk heaven’.
Fitness trainer Muhammad Rafeeq reveals, “A lot of the models and actors I train come to me asking for a muscular body in a short span of time. People are willing to bear with the side-effects of pills instead doing the hard work.”
The ill-informed are unaware that these side-effects can be alarming indeed. Nutritionist Shiny Chandran explains, “Excessive use of steroids can damage the liver and lead to excessive libido. Hair fall and joint pains are other common symptoms. These guys should bear in mind that the right diet, recommended by an expert, can help in getting mass without harming the body much.
Also, being fit doesn’t mean that your arms should be more massive than the dumbbells, it’s about feeling good from inside!” Finally, a question for the steroid-poppers — are those six-pack abs, bulging biceps and bulked-up bods, worth the risks?
Ex-bodybuilder stole drugs from employer.
A former bodybuilder stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in drugs while working at a medical waste-disposal company, a court has heard.
The Victorian County Court heard John Gonzalez used amphetamines partly to gain a competitive edge in bodybuilding and when he had access to large amounts of drugs through his day job, it was too tempting to ignore.
The father of two is facing a maximum term of life in jail after a police search of his family home in 2007 uncovered an "Aladdin's cave of drugs", prosecutor George Slim told the pre-sentence hearing.
More than 17kg of pseudoephedrine, worth almost $700,000, was found among the stash of pills and other drugs stored at his Epping home.
Mr Slim said that amount was capable of making up to 13kg of methamphetamine.
"This is a case of possession for sale," he said.
Gonzalez, 38, has pleaded guilty to 14 charges including trafficking a large commercial quantity of pseudoephedrine, three counts of trafficking a drug of dependence, six of possessing a drug of dependence and four of possessing precursor chemicals.
Mr Slim said Gonzalez was employed by SteriCorp at the time, a company specialising in the disposal of medical waste.
In his job as a leading hand, he had access to large quantities of drugs, which were supposed to be disposed of mainly by incineration.
Defence barrister Justin Hannebery told the pre-sentence hearing his client's use of amphetamines helped introduce him to a drug environment.
He said his client used amphetamines as a body builder to help him lose weight and when he got a job disposing of pharmaceuticals, he took advantage of his position.
"You can't deny the sheer opportunity presented to him vis-a-vis his employment environment," Mr Hannebery said. "By his own drug usage he would've been aware of that advantage he had and that's how it occurred."
Mr Hannebery said a series of events, including his training partner committing suicide and his mother's cancer diagnosis, had led him to feel depressed and contributed to his crimes.
He argued the charge of possessing a large commercial quantity of pseudoephedrine was not of the worst example and the trafficking charges only inferred that at some stage he intended to sell the drugs.
Gonzalez, who is on bail, will be sentenced at a date to be fixed.
The Victorian County Court heard John Gonzalez used amphetamines partly to gain a competitive edge in bodybuilding and when he had access to large amounts of drugs through his day job, it was too tempting to ignore.
The father of two is facing a maximum term of life in jail after a police search of his family home in 2007 uncovered an "Aladdin's cave of drugs", prosecutor George Slim told the pre-sentence hearing.
More than 17kg of pseudoephedrine, worth almost $700,000, was found among the stash of pills and other drugs stored at his Epping home.
Mr Slim said that amount was capable of making up to 13kg of methamphetamine.
"This is a case of possession for sale," he said.
Gonzalez, 38, has pleaded guilty to 14 charges including trafficking a large commercial quantity of pseudoephedrine, three counts of trafficking a drug of dependence, six of possessing a drug of dependence and four of possessing precursor chemicals.
Mr Slim said Gonzalez was employed by SteriCorp at the time, a company specialising in the disposal of medical waste.
In his job as a leading hand, he had access to large quantities of drugs, which were supposed to be disposed of mainly by incineration.
Defence barrister Justin Hannebery told the pre-sentence hearing his client's use of amphetamines helped introduce him to a drug environment.
He said his client used amphetamines as a body builder to help him lose weight and when he got a job disposing of pharmaceuticals, he took advantage of his position.
"You can't deny the sheer opportunity presented to him vis-a-vis his employment environment," Mr Hannebery said. "By his own drug usage he would've been aware of that advantage he had and that's how it occurred."
Mr Hannebery said a series of events, including his training partner committing suicide and his mother's cancer diagnosis, had led him to feel depressed and contributed to his crimes.
He argued the charge of possessing a large commercial quantity of pseudoephedrine was not of the worst example and the trafficking charges only inferred that at some stage he intended to sell the drugs.
Gonzalez, who is on bail, will be sentenced at a date to be fixed.
Russian press claims Interpol operation underway against mail order pharmacy website operators in 25 countries.
A large-scale operation against the distribution of fake medicines starts in Russia with the participation of Interpol for the first time. The international police will also target the criminal rings making profits from the big sport, ITAR-TASS reported.
The chief of Interpol’s national central bureau at the Russian Interior Ministry, Timur Lahonin, said that the unit uncovered 1,200 websites selling fake medicines. The operation is taking place in 25 countries. The most dangerous segment on the black market is the fake antibiotics, contraceptives, steroids and slimming pills.
Russia has joined the ongoing international police operation to fight fake medicines, says the Chief of the National Central Office of the Interpol with the Russian Interior Ministry Timur Lakhonin.
The official claims that some 1,200 Websites currently offer fake drugs. The medicines are now being withdrawn from circulation in 25 countries.
The most dangerous segment of the black market of medicines is all sorts of fake antibiotics, contraceptives, steroids and preparations for losing weight, General Lakhonin said.
“At present, a special raid was launched to detect the channel of counterfeit medicines. This is a new direction in our work. We found 1,200 websites in the Internet that sell fake medicines. These medicines are now being seized. The operation is underway in 25 countries and now it begins in Russia,” he said.
The chief of Interpol’s national central bureau at the Russian Interior Ministry, Timur Lahonin, said that the unit uncovered 1,200 websites selling fake medicines. The operation is taking place in 25 countries. The most dangerous segment on the black market is the fake antibiotics, contraceptives, steroids and slimming pills.
Russia has joined the ongoing international police operation to fight fake medicines, says the Chief of the National Central Office of the Interpol with the Russian Interior Ministry Timur Lakhonin.
The official claims that some 1,200 Websites currently offer fake drugs. The medicines are now being withdrawn from circulation in 25 countries.
The most dangerous segment of the black market of medicines is all sorts of fake antibiotics, contraceptives, steroids and preparations for losing weight, General Lakhonin said.
“At present, a special raid was launched to detect the channel of counterfeit medicines. This is a new direction in our work. We found 1,200 websites in the Internet that sell fake medicines. These medicines are now being seized. The operation is underway in 25 countries and now it begins in Russia,” he said.
Czech shot-putter banned for two years.
Czech shot-putter Remigius Machura was handed a two-year doping ban after testing positive for a growth hormone, which will rule him out of the 2012 London Olympics.
“Remigius Machura junior has been suspended for two years, from August 12, 2010 until August 11, 2012,” said Miroslav Sevcik, the head of the Czech athletics federation's disciplinary body.
“Remigius Machura junior has been suspended for two years, from August 12, 2010 until August 11, 2012,” said Miroslav Sevcik, the head of the Czech athletics federation's disciplinary body.
Doping police say new EPO like drug on their radar.
A drug that mimics EPO as a way to help patients with kidney problems is in the late stages of development, one in an long list of new pharmaceuticals that anti-doping authorities are monitoring as they struggle to keep sports clean.
The drug, called Hematide, is in Stage 3 development, meaning it could be on the market by 2012. Anti-doping authorities say there's a chance some version of the blood-boosting drug could already be available on the black market.
"It speaks to the length people will go to try to cheat," said Larry Bowers, the lead scientist at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. "You get drugs with perfectly beneficial health purposes and it gets diverted for use by people who shouldn't be doing it."
Almost every drug on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list, including human growth hormone and steroids, have legitimate medical purposes.
Hematide's arrival is the latest development in a long-running cat-and-mouse game between the drug police and the athletes who find ways to use drugs to improve their performance. Cases involving track athletes Marion Jones, baseball players Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and an investigation into seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong have centered around whether they used human growth hormone, EPO or designer steroids, all of which have proven more difficult to detect than traditional steroids.
Before Hematide, the most significant development in the line of EPO products was CERA, a version of EPO that stays in the blood for longer periods of time. There was no test available for CERA at the Beijing Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee holds onto doping samples for eight years so it can analyze them later if new testing methods become available.
Using a new test in 2009 is how the IOC retroactively caught five Beijing Olympians for using CERA. This year, the IOC said it was retesting some samples from the 2006 Turin Olympics — strong indicators of how patient anti-doping authorities are willing to be to catch cheaters.
One of the newer drugs on WADA's radar, Hematide essentially does the same thing as EPO — helps produce more red blood cells — but, much like CERA, it stays in the body longer so patients don't have to go through as many treatments.
Still, Hematide is not EPO, and so it must be detected using different methods than were used for the original blood booster. Anti-doping authorities are strategically vague when talking about whether a test is already in place for developing drugs, not wanting drug cheats to know what solutions have been found or perfected. At an anti-doping conference last year, WADA said it was studying a new method that would allow wider testing of EPO.
And in yet another attempt to counter possible new EPO-like substances — as well as all other developing drugs that haven't hit the market yet — WADA recently added a category of "non-approved substances" that covers developing products that are not included in other sections of the list and not yet approved for use.
Hematide, however, is already specifically named on the banned list, said Gary Wadler who leads the WADA committee that determines the banned-substances list.
Earlier this year, WADA signed an agreement with a group representing pharmaceutical companies that gets the companies to voluntarily share information with drug police when they're developing new products. It was considered a breakthrough, giving anti-doping authorities a window into what's out there. In return, WADA has to agree not to share proprietary information between competing companies.
"The mission is to be good citizens here," said Anne-Marie Duliege, chief medical officer at Affymax, the company developing Hematide. "We clear it with the professional agencies who know how to do this. The idea is not to replace WADA. We're just delighted to work with WADA, so they can see what's out there and what they might need to prevent down the road."
It's too early to tell how big a factor Hematide might be on the doping scene, though clearly, the effort to detect it is well underway more than a year before its expected arrival to the market.
"We work with the people involved with it. It's not like it came out of nowhere," Wadler said. "We all follow the literature on what's being developed. Something like this does not surprise you at all."
The drug, called Hematide, is in Stage 3 development, meaning it could be on the market by 2012. Anti-doping authorities say there's a chance some version of the blood-boosting drug could already be available on the black market.
"It speaks to the length people will go to try to cheat," said Larry Bowers, the lead scientist at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. "You get drugs with perfectly beneficial health purposes and it gets diverted for use by people who shouldn't be doing it."
Almost every drug on the World Anti-Doping Agency's banned list, including human growth hormone and steroids, have legitimate medical purposes.
Hematide's arrival is the latest development in a long-running cat-and-mouse game between the drug police and the athletes who find ways to use drugs to improve their performance. Cases involving track athletes Marion Jones, baseball players Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens and an investigation into seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong have centered around whether they used human growth hormone, EPO or designer steroids, all of which have proven more difficult to detect than traditional steroids.
Before Hematide, the most significant development in the line of EPO products was CERA, a version of EPO that stays in the blood for longer periods of time. There was no test available for CERA at the Beijing Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee holds onto doping samples for eight years so it can analyze them later if new testing methods become available.
Using a new test in 2009 is how the IOC retroactively caught five Beijing Olympians for using CERA. This year, the IOC said it was retesting some samples from the 2006 Turin Olympics — strong indicators of how patient anti-doping authorities are willing to be to catch cheaters.
One of the newer drugs on WADA's radar, Hematide essentially does the same thing as EPO — helps produce more red blood cells — but, much like CERA, it stays in the body longer so patients don't have to go through as many treatments.
Still, Hematide is not EPO, and so it must be detected using different methods than were used for the original blood booster. Anti-doping authorities are strategically vague when talking about whether a test is already in place for developing drugs, not wanting drug cheats to know what solutions have been found or perfected. At an anti-doping conference last year, WADA said it was studying a new method that would allow wider testing of EPO.
And in yet another attempt to counter possible new EPO-like substances — as well as all other developing drugs that haven't hit the market yet — WADA recently added a category of "non-approved substances" that covers developing products that are not included in other sections of the list and not yet approved for use.
Hematide, however, is already specifically named on the banned list, said Gary Wadler who leads the WADA committee that determines the banned-substances list.
Earlier this year, WADA signed an agreement with a group representing pharmaceutical companies that gets the companies to voluntarily share information with drug police when they're developing new products. It was considered a breakthrough, giving anti-doping authorities a window into what's out there. In return, WADA has to agree not to share proprietary information between competing companies.
"The mission is to be good citizens here," said Anne-Marie Duliege, chief medical officer at Affymax, the company developing Hematide. "We clear it with the professional agencies who know how to do this. The idea is not to replace WADA. We're just delighted to work with WADA, so they can see what's out there and what they might need to prevent down the road."
It's too early to tell how big a factor Hematide might be on the doping scene, though clearly, the effort to detect it is well underway more than a year before its expected arrival to the market.
"We work with the people involved with it. It's not like it came out of nowhere," Wadler said. "We all follow the literature on what's being developed. Something like this does not surprise you at all."
More details on the UK's plan to ban personal use steroid imports.
The government's expert drug advisers are pressing for a ban on online imports of anabolic steroids amid growing concern over their use by teenage boys and young men to improve their body image.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) says the ban is needed because the steroids sold online are often contaminated, out of date, or delivered with the wrong dosage instructions.
The ACMD's chair, Professor Leslie Iversen, said steroids were now much too easily available: "If you search online you will see endless offers. The ACMD is the lone voice against this tide of promotion on the internet. We think [an import ban] would have a considerable dampening effect on demand. It may be difficult to enforce but it would act as a simple deterrent."
Iversen said steroids were becoming a "big phenomenon" in Britain: "There is no question that the number using the drug for sporting reasons is now a minority. The real growth has come in young users who want to improve their body image."
An ACMD report to the home secretary on anabolic steroids published today quotes the latest figures from the British Crime Survey, estimating that 50,000 people in the past year have used anabolic steroids for non-medical purposes, such as bodybuilding. More than 220,000 told the BCS they had used anabolic steroids.
But drug experts say these are probably underestimates of the numbers using anabolic steroids because many people will not openly admit to using the drugs, even in an anonymous self-report survey such as the BCS. Some needle and syringe exchange programmes for problem drug users have also reported an exponential rise in steroid injectors, according to the report.
Iversen said the rising use of anabolic steroids, particularly among young men, was a worrying development: "While the health-related harms associated with these substances are not as severe as with some other drugs, misuse carries significant risks, particularly for young people whose bodies are still developing. More needs to be done to tackle the supply of anabolic steroids and to educate people to the potential dangers."
The report says most of the harmful effects of anabolic steroids are not life-threatening and only a small number of deaths have ever been attributed to liver damage associated with long-term steroid use. However, it raises distinct concerns about their use by young people saying they can potentially disrupt the normal pattern of physical growth and induce masculinising effects in women and children.
Anabolic steroids have been used since the 1950s by bodybuilders and weightlifters to build muscle as well as by elite athletes to improve their performance. The use of steroids is now widely banned by the sporting authorities.
The ACMD says anabolic steroids should remain a class C illegal drug, which can be bought on prescription from a pharmacist. While it is illegal to import or sell steroids for non-medical purposes it is currently legal to possess or import steroids as long as they are for personal use only.
The drug advisory body says it is now time to make it illegal to order substances online from overseas websites and import them by post or courier. Personal possession, including bringing them into the country, will however remain legal as the authorities believe criminalising users would simply push the problem underground.
The drugs minister, James Brokenshire, said steroids were dangerous substances which could cause serious psychiatric and physical problems: "We will carefully review the recommendations set out in this report and respond shortly."
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) says the ban is needed because the steroids sold online are often contaminated, out of date, or delivered with the wrong dosage instructions.
The ACMD's chair, Professor Leslie Iversen, said steroids were now much too easily available: "If you search online you will see endless offers. The ACMD is the lone voice against this tide of promotion on the internet. We think [an import ban] would have a considerable dampening effect on demand. It may be difficult to enforce but it would act as a simple deterrent."
Iversen said steroids were becoming a "big phenomenon" in Britain: "There is no question that the number using the drug for sporting reasons is now a minority. The real growth has come in young users who want to improve their body image."
An ACMD report to the home secretary on anabolic steroids published today quotes the latest figures from the British Crime Survey, estimating that 50,000 people in the past year have used anabolic steroids for non-medical purposes, such as bodybuilding. More than 220,000 told the BCS they had used anabolic steroids.
But drug experts say these are probably underestimates of the numbers using anabolic steroids because many people will not openly admit to using the drugs, even in an anonymous self-report survey such as the BCS. Some needle and syringe exchange programmes for problem drug users have also reported an exponential rise in steroid injectors, according to the report.
Iversen said the rising use of anabolic steroids, particularly among young men, was a worrying development: "While the health-related harms associated with these substances are not as severe as with some other drugs, misuse carries significant risks, particularly for young people whose bodies are still developing. More needs to be done to tackle the supply of anabolic steroids and to educate people to the potential dangers."
The report says most of the harmful effects of anabolic steroids are not life-threatening and only a small number of deaths have ever been attributed to liver damage associated with long-term steroid use. However, it raises distinct concerns about their use by young people saying they can potentially disrupt the normal pattern of physical growth and induce masculinising effects in women and children.
Anabolic steroids have been used since the 1950s by bodybuilders and weightlifters to build muscle as well as by elite athletes to improve their performance. The use of steroids is now widely banned by the sporting authorities.
The ACMD says anabolic steroids should remain a class C illegal drug, which can be bought on prescription from a pharmacist. While it is illegal to import or sell steroids for non-medical purposes it is currently legal to possess or import steroids as long as they are for personal use only.
The drug advisory body says it is now time to make it illegal to order substances online from overseas websites and import them by post or courier. Personal possession, including bringing them into the country, will however remain legal as the authorities believe criminalising users would simply push the problem underground.
The drugs minister, James Brokenshire, said steroids were dangerous substances which could cause serious psychiatric and physical problems: "We will carefully review the recommendations set out in this report and respond shortly."
Undercover operation finds several Australian Police on the Gold Coast using steroids.
An undercover operation discovered six Gold Coast police officers were using anabolic steroids for "no good medical reason", an anti-corruption inquiry has heard.
A Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) public hearing today was told the officers, mainly from the Surfers Paradise station, had been prescribed steroids even though they weren't suffering from any disease or medical problem which required them.
The CMC hearing follows the watchdog's Operation Tesco which investigated allegations of police misconduct, including that some officers had associated with criminals, engaged in drug use and misused confidential police information.
The evidence of steroid use followed testimony yesterday from the Gold Coast's senior officer Superintendent Jim Keogh that he had suspicions some young male officers on the holiday strip may be using such drugs.
Counsel assisting the commission John Allen said none of the officers were suffering any disease or medical condition that would justify the drugs.
"These officers were healthy - they gave varied reasons for needing the steroids including feeling tired, lethargic or just wanting to be bigger," Mr Allen said.
"Each sought this treatment from the same doctor who was prepared to assist the."
Mr Allen also told the hearing a professor who specialised in the effects of steroids had told the CMC people abusing the drugs had a tendency to use high doses of them, topping them up with black market product.
"They can get anxious, have sleep difficulties, become agitated, irritable, angry, can over-react to situations and their judgment may not be as balanced as it might usually be," he said.
Mr Allen said that could be of obvious concern if the person abusing steroids was an armed police officer.
A Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) public hearing today was told the officers, mainly from the Surfers Paradise station, had been prescribed steroids even though they weren't suffering from any disease or medical problem which required them.
The CMC hearing follows the watchdog's Operation Tesco which investigated allegations of police misconduct, including that some officers had associated with criminals, engaged in drug use and misused confidential police information.
The evidence of steroid use followed testimony yesterday from the Gold Coast's senior officer Superintendent Jim Keogh that he had suspicions some young male officers on the holiday strip may be using such drugs.
Counsel assisting the commission John Allen said none of the officers were suffering any disease or medical condition that would justify the drugs.
"These officers were healthy - they gave varied reasons for needing the steroids including feeling tired, lethargic or just wanting to be bigger," Mr Allen said.
"Each sought this treatment from the same doctor who was prepared to assist the."
Mr Allen also told the hearing a professor who specialised in the effects of steroids had told the CMC people abusing the drugs had a tendency to use high doses of them, topping them up with black market product.
"They can get anxious, have sleep difficulties, become agitated, irritable, angry, can over-react to situations and their judgment may not be as balanced as it might usually be," he said.
Mr Allen said that could be of obvious concern if the person abusing steroids was an armed police officer.
Pakistani runner Zahoor gets 2 year steroids ban.
Pakistan has suspended former Olympic runner Sumaira Zahoor for two years after she tested positive for steroids. Sports ministry spokesman Faik Ali said the 30-year-old Zahoor was given the suspension after appearing before a three-member committee of the national anti-doping body on Monday. Committee member Khalid Mehmood said Zahoor could appeal the ban. Zahoor competed in the 2004 Athens Olympics, but failed to advance out of her heat in the 1,500 meters. Pakistan will not compete in any of the track and field events at next month's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.
Police officer loses his Anavar and ends up getting a two week suspension.
A police officer agreed to an unpaid 15-day suspension after he didn’t properly notify police that 200 pills were missing from his patrol car when he picked up the vehicle from a city contractor, according to recently released records and a lieutenant.
Officer Jedadiah Cotterman agreed to the suspension that ended an internal affairs inquiry focusing on Cotterman’s alleged handling of a June incident that happened when he dropped his patrol vehicle off at Atlantic Collision on Southwest South Macedo Boulevard.
When Cotterman returned to get the vehicle several days later, he noticed two bags containing 200 tablets missing. An Atlantic employee said Cotterman said the medication was “for his liver and if he doesn’t take the medications, his eyes turn yellow,” records show.
The Atlantic employee said the employees are trustworthy and thought the medication inadvertently was thrown out or swept up. The employee offered to reimburse Cotterman even though it wasn’t the business’ standard practice to do so. He gave Cotterman a check for $300.
The Atlantic employee called another officer to explain the situation, and the other officer eventually said an officer would be coming to take a report.
The officer who met Cotterman said Cotterman was “reluctant” to say what the medication was for, saying he was “embarrassed.” He ultimately said it was a steroids he used for weight loss. Cotterman said the medicine was “Oxandrolone” and that he didn’t need a prescription for it. The pills also reportedly “went by the brand name ‘Anavar.’”
The officer did an Internet search and found the medicine did require a prescription.
The officer said he thought Cotterman “was not being truthful about not needing a prescription for the reported missing medication.”
Police spoke with a friend of Cotterman’s who said he sold Cotterman the tablets. The friend described himself as a “supplement meathead” who spends lots of money on protein, testosterone boosters, fat burners and other things. The friend said he sold Cotterman two bottles of “Anavar,” which he said are a “legal, over-the-counter supplement.”
The Anavar cost him $50 per bottle and he sold the two bottles to Cotterman for $100.
He said Cotterman gave him $300 for the “Anavar,” though he said he added $200 to Cotterman’s bill for repayment of a loan he gave Cotterman.
He said “maybe” Cotterman thought he was selling each “Anavar” bottle for $150.
The friend said he told Cotterman that “Anavar” was known as a “fat burner” that promoted weight loss.
Police returned the $300 check to Atlantic Collision.
Lt. Ron Caudell on Monday said investigators had no pills to test to determine exactly what Cotterman had. He said the improper conduct stemmed from Cotterman not properly reporting the steroids that were missing from his patrol car.
Police records show the State Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute because of a lack of physical evidence and also because no witnesses could say Oxandrolone was in Cotterman’s possession.
Officer Jedadiah Cotterman agreed to the suspension that ended an internal affairs inquiry focusing on Cotterman’s alleged handling of a June incident that happened when he dropped his patrol vehicle off at Atlantic Collision on Southwest South Macedo Boulevard.
When Cotterman returned to get the vehicle several days later, he noticed two bags containing 200 tablets missing. An Atlantic employee said Cotterman said the medication was “for his liver and if he doesn’t take the medications, his eyes turn yellow,” records show.
The Atlantic employee said the employees are trustworthy and thought the medication inadvertently was thrown out or swept up. The employee offered to reimburse Cotterman even though it wasn’t the business’ standard practice to do so. He gave Cotterman a check for $300.
The Atlantic employee called another officer to explain the situation, and the other officer eventually said an officer would be coming to take a report.
The officer who met Cotterman said Cotterman was “reluctant” to say what the medication was for, saying he was “embarrassed.” He ultimately said it was a steroids he used for weight loss. Cotterman said the medicine was “Oxandrolone” and that he didn’t need a prescription for it. The pills also reportedly “went by the brand name ‘Anavar.’”
The officer did an Internet search and found the medicine did require a prescription.
The officer said he thought Cotterman “was not being truthful about not needing a prescription for the reported missing medication.”
Police spoke with a friend of Cotterman’s who said he sold Cotterman the tablets. The friend described himself as a “supplement meathead” who spends lots of money on protein, testosterone boosters, fat burners and other things. The friend said he sold Cotterman two bottles of “Anavar,” which he said are a “legal, over-the-counter supplement.”
The Anavar cost him $50 per bottle and he sold the two bottles to Cotterman for $100.
He said Cotterman gave him $300 for the “Anavar,” though he said he added $200 to Cotterman’s bill for repayment of a loan he gave Cotterman.
He said “maybe” Cotterman thought he was selling each “Anavar” bottle for $150.
The friend said he told Cotterman that “Anavar” was known as a “fat burner” that promoted weight loss.
Police returned the $300 check to Atlantic Collision.
Lt. Ron Caudell on Monday said investigators had no pills to test to determine exactly what Cotterman had. He said the improper conduct stemmed from Cotterman not properly reporting the steroids that were missing from his patrol car.
Police records show the State Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute because of a lack of physical evidence and also because no witnesses could say Oxandrolone was in Cotterman’s possession.
Call to ban online steroid sales in the United Kingdom.
Ordering anabolic steroids over the internet should be made illegal, the Government's drugs advisory body has said.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said further restrictions to make it necessary for an individual to have personal custody of the substances on importation should be imposed, "thereby making online ordering of the substances illegal".
The British Crime Survey found that 50,000 people aged 16-59 used anabolic steroids in 2009/10 and needle and syringe programmes also indicated a rise in steroid injectors, the ACMD said.
It also recommended the Government increase its efforts to ensure better availability of credible information and advice for users of anabolic steroids and put a greater focus on users who visit needle exchange schemes to help stop the spread of blood-borne viruses.
Professor Les Iversen, ACMD chairman, said: "The misuse and rising prevalence of anabolic steroids is a worrying development.
"While the health-related harms associated with these substances are not as severe as with some other drugs, misuse carries significant risks, particularly for young people whose bodies are still developing.
"More needs to be done to tackle the supply of anabolic steroids and to educate people of the potential dangers."
But the ACMD said "criminal prosecution should continue to be limited to illicit steroid dealers, suppliers, manufacturers and traffickers who profit from this trade as a Class C substance". It also recommended improved intervention and education messages aimed at users.
The ACMD report - Consideration Of The Anabolic Steroids - raised concerns over the "ease of availability through transnational internet sites trading in these products". It added that substandard and counterfeit steroids within the marketplace posed a health risk and also found there was "no recognised drug treatment provision for anabolic steroid users in the UK".
The advisory body also found that use of the drugs by adolescents was "potentially disrupting the normal pattern of growth and behavioural maturation and leading to virilisation". It added that the majority of users injected anabolic steroids and were potentially at risk of a number of serious harms including blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B and C as a result of sharing used injecting equipment.
The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) said further restrictions to make it necessary for an individual to have personal custody of the substances on importation should be imposed, "thereby making online ordering of the substances illegal".
The British Crime Survey found that 50,000 people aged 16-59 used anabolic steroids in 2009/10 and needle and syringe programmes also indicated a rise in steroid injectors, the ACMD said.
It also recommended the Government increase its efforts to ensure better availability of credible information and advice for users of anabolic steroids and put a greater focus on users who visit needle exchange schemes to help stop the spread of blood-borne viruses.
Professor Les Iversen, ACMD chairman, said: "The misuse and rising prevalence of anabolic steroids is a worrying development.
"While the health-related harms associated with these substances are not as severe as with some other drugs, misuse carries significant risks, particularly for young people whose bodies are still developing.
"More needs to be done to tackle the supply of anabolic steroids and to educate people of the potential dangers."
But the ACMD said "criminal prosecution should continue to be limited to illicit steroid dealers, suppliers, manufacturers and traffickers who profit from this trade as a Class C substance". It also recommended improved intervention and education messages aimed at users.
The ACMD report - Consideration Of The Anabolic Steroids - raised concerns over the "ease of availability through transnational internet sites trading in these products". It added that substandard and counterfeit steroids within the marketplace posed a health risk and also found there was "no recognised drug treatment provision for anabolic steroid users in the UK".
The advisory body also found that use of the drugs by adolescents was "potentially disrupting the normal pattern of growth and behavioural maturation and leading to virilisation". It added that the majority of users injected anabolic steroids and were potentially at risk of a number of serious harms including blood-borne viruses such as hepatitis B and C as a result of sharing used injecting equipment.
Small steroids bust in Alicante, Spain.
Three people have been arrested in connection with the sale of “bodybuilding” stimulants at a local gym. National Police Agents arrested the three Spanish defendants, aged 24, 29 and 39 years, at a gym in Elche, after it was reported that they were selling anabolic steroids, which had been purchased via the internet, to fellow members.
During a raid on the establishment concerned, Police confiscated 24 boxes and 39 packets of the illegal drugs in a sports holdall, belonging to one of the accused, who was arrested immediately.
The arrest led to the detention of his two accomplices later that day, one of which was his brother and the other a member of the gym who had been responsible for purchasing the drugs.
A further raid on the culprits properties led to the recovery of 815 pills and 74 packets of steroids, alongside of 1.171 euros, tools used to manipulate the substances and the names and telephone numbers of supposed “regular” customers.
During a raid on the establishment concerned, Police confiscated 24 boxes and 39 packets of the illegal drugs in a sports holdall, belonging to one of the accused, who was arrested immediately.
The arrest led to the detention of his two accomplices later that day, one of which was his brother and the other a member of the gym who had been responsible for purchasing the drugs.
A further raid on the culprits properties led to the recovery of 815 pills and 74 packets of steroids, alongside of 1.171 euros, tools used to manipulate the substances and the names and telephone numbers of supposed “regular” customers.
ArimaDex recalled beacuse it contains real aromatase inhibitor.
Makers of the supplement ArimaDex -- advertised to boost testosterone and build lean muscle mass -- voluntarily recalled the product after traces of an aromatase inhibitor, used in the treatment of breast cancer, was found in an FDA analysis.
Genetic Edge Technologies recalled all lots of the supplement, which is sold in white plastic bottles containing 60 orange soft-gels. The product has the UPC code 718122466511.
Adverse events caused by aromatase inhibitors include decreased rate of bone maturation, decreased sperm production, infertility, aggressive behavior, adrenal insufficiency, kidney failure, and liver dysfunction.
Patients with kidney, liver, adrenal, or prostate problems are at increased risk for adverse events while taking aromatase inhibitors.
No adverse event reports stemming from use of the product have been filed, according to the manufacturer. The soft-gels were sold through retail stores and over the Internet.
USADA suspends cyclist for two years for EPO possession, more US bans expected soon.
In the first case of a professional domestic cyclist suspended for ties to former racer turned drug distributor Joe Papp, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Friday that Jelly Belly rider Jonathan Chodroff has accepted a two-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation based on his use and possession of synthetic erythropoietin (EPO)in 2007.
As VeloNews reported earlier this week, a wave of domestic cyclists are believed to receive sanctions in the coming days and weeks for purchasing performance-enhancing drugs through a Web site Papp ran from September 2006 through September 2007.
According to the Justice Department, Papp imported the drugs from the Chinese manufacturer, Shandong Kexing Bioproducts Company and sold the drugs to approximately 187 customers, including cyclists and other athletes, throughout the United States and internationally.
In February Papp, 35, pleaded guilty in a Pennsylvania federal court to conspiracy to distribute human growth hormone and recombinant erythropoietin. He has not yet been sentenced for his violation of federal narcotic laws. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both.
Because he is awaiting sentencing, Papp declined to comment about any USADA or criminal investigations with which he may be cooperating.
However, Papp posted this message on his Twitter account on Friday morning: “Respect to Jonathan Chodroff for doing the “honorable” thing and admitting HIS involvement. Many others haven’t/won’t, it seems.”
Reached by VeloNews Friday morning, Chodroff had no comment. However in another news outlet he admitted to purchasing doping products in 2007. When USADA confronted him with electronic evidence linking him with Papp’s online store, Chodroff said he immediately phoned USADA and confessed.
Jelly Belly rider Kiel Reijnen confirmed that Chodroff notified him of the suspension yesterday with a phone call.
“(Chodroff’s EPO possession) was from a long time ago and isn’t really relevant to what we’re doing now,” said Reijnen, adding that Chodroff had already decided to retire earlier this season, after the Tour of Qinghai Lake showed him his limitations.
Chodroff’s two-year period of ineligibility began on September 10, 2010, the day he accepted the sanction. Additionally, Chodroff is disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to March 26, 2007, the date he first committed the anti-doping rule violations based on evidence currently in USADA’s possession, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
As VeloNews reported earlier this week, a wave of domestic cyclists are believed to receive sanctions in the coming days and weeks for purchasing performance-enhancing drugs through a Web site Papp ran from September 2006 through September 2007.
According to the Justice Department, Papp imported the drugs from the Chinese manufacturer, Shandong Kexing Bioproducts Company and sold the drugs to approximately 187 customers, including cyclists and other athletes, throughout the United States and internationally.
In February Papp, 35, pleaded guilty in a Pennsylvania federal court to conspiracy to distribute human growth hormone and recombinant erythropoietin. He has not yet been sentenced for his violation of federal narcotic laws. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both.
Because he is awaiting sentencing, Papp declined to comment about any USADA or criminal investigations with which he may be cooperating.
However, Papp posted this message on his Twitter account on Friday morning: “Respect to Jonathan Chodroff for doing the “honorable” thing and admitting HIS involvement. Many others haven’t/won’t, it seems.”
Reached by VeloNews Friday morning, Chodroff had no comment. However in another news outlet he admitted to purchasing doping products in 2007. When USADA confronted him with electronic evidence linking him with Papp’s online store, Chodroff said he immediately phoned USADA and confessed.
Jelly Belly rider Kiel Reijnen confirmed that Chodroff notified him of the suspension yesterday with a phone call.
“(Chodroff’s EPO possession) was from a long time ago and isn’t really relevant to what we’re doing now,” said Reijnen, adding that Chodroff had already decided to retire earlier this season, after the Tour of Qinghai Lake showed him his limitations.
Chodroff’s two-year period of ineligibility began on September 10, 2010, the day he accepted the sanction. Additionally, Chodroff is disqualified from all competitive results achieved on and subsequent to March 26, 2007, the date he first committed the anti-doping rule violations based on evidence currently in USADA’s possession, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
Australian bodybuilder jailed for supplying rebottled Advanced Stealth Gay Lube Oils.
A former bodybuilder was today jailed for five years over the illegal importation of anabolic steroids.
Mark William Rainbow, 43, was sentenced in Auckland District Court after earlier admitting breaches of the Medicine Act 1981 including importing, possessing and supplying prescription and other medicines.
Rainbow imported medicines from Thailand in May 2008 that had been concealed in bottles falsely labelled "Gay Lube Oil".
The contents were then transferred into bottles labelled with the name of Rainbow's trading company, SSIS Pharmaceuticals. The products he sold were not of a pharmaceutical standard and their lack of quality assurance posed a real risk to those using them.
Medsafe investigators, working with customs and police, found Rainbow supplied these unapproved medicines to at least three people.
Mark William Rainbow, 43, was sentenced in Auckland District Court after earlier admitting breaches of the Medicine Act 1981 including importing, possessing and supplying prescription and other medicines.
Rainbow imported medicines from Thailand in May 2008 that had been concealed in bottles falsely labelled "Gay Lube Oil".
The contents were then transferred into bottles labelled with the name of Rainbow's trading company, SSIS Pharmaceuticals. The products he sold were not of a pharmaceutical standard and their lack of quality assurance posed a real risk to those using them.
Medsafe investigators, working with customs and police, found Rainbow supplied these unapproved medicines to at least three people.
Four FBI Agents arrested for alleged steroids and HGH use.
In the FBI case, according to court papers, Katia Litton, 42, a special agent with the Washington Field Office since 2003 and a former bodybuilder, used steroids and HGH along with her husband, Matthew Litton, 39, an agent since 2001 whose FBI medical file describes him as "5'8' and 190 lbs." and "muscular."
Along with Special Agent James Barnett, 42, also with the Washington office, and counterterrorism analyst Ali Sawan, 45, the four allegedly met with doctors and received fake diagnoses for conditions including pituitary dwarfism beginning in 2006.
They allegedly received prescriptions for medications including anabolic steroids and HGH. The medications are used in bodybuilding to increase muscle mass and reduce recovery time after workouts.
The four FBI employees appeared one after the other Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson as charges were unsealed in U.S. District Court in Washington. The defendants were not asked to make any statements, and attorneys for Sawan and Matthew Litton declined to comment afterward. Attorneys for Barnett and Katia Litton left the courtroom before they could be questioned.
The Littons, of McLean; Barnett, of Alexandria; and Sawan, of Sterling, were required to submit to a drug test, give up their passports and any weapons, and stay within 50 miles of their homes. They were released on their own recognizance pending an Oct. 5 hearing.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the investigation.
However, an arrest affidavit filed in the cases of the Littons and Sawan by Special Agent J. Brian Burnett of the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General, notes that each worked with a part-time emergency room doctor.
In a side practice, the doctor advertised "hormone modulation therapy" to address such conditions as "adult onset growth hormone deficiency" and "adult onset growth testosterone deficiency," Burnett wrote.
Burnett said that the doctor wrote more than 5,200 prescriptions for anabolic steroids between September 2005 and January 2010 and that a nearby laboratory drew blood from 307 of the doctor's patients, all of whom were given a diagnosis of pituitary dwarfism or other recognized growth hormone deficiencies.
Three FBI agents and an FBI counterterrorism expert have been arrested and charged with obtaining thousands of dollars worth of steroids and human growth hormone using bogus medical diagnoses, and then lying about it on government health forms.
The headquarters building of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the J. Edgar Hoover building along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. Three FBI agents and an FBI counter-terrorism expert have been arrested and charged with obtaining thousands of dollars worth of steroids and human growth hormone using bogus medical diagnoses, and then lying about it on government health forms. Collapse
Prosecutors say that two of the agents, a female bodybuilder and her husband, may have spent $17,000 on HGH, while a third male agent was visiting a gynecologist in order to obtain steroids and HGH. Two different doctors were allegedly writing prescriptions for the four suspects using false diagnoses of dwarfism, and one of the doctors had allegedly written more than 5,000 prescriptions for steroids in the past five years.
Agents Katia Litton, Matthew Litton and James Drew Barnett and intelligence analyst Ali Sawan were charged with making false statements on US government documents. Barnet, 42, and Katia Litton, 42, worked for the FBI's Washington field office, while Litton's 39-year-old husband Michael worked at the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group in Quantico, Virginia. Sawan, 45, is with the FBI's Counterterrorism Division.
According to affidavits unsealed Wednesday, Barnett used a board-certified gynecologist with a specialty in Age Management Medicine as his doctor to obtain HGH and steroids, and spent more than $10,000 on medical tests and prescriptions.
The affidavits also allege that Katia Litton competed as a bodybuilder as recently as 2002, and received 26 separate prescriptions from one of the doctors for HGH. Bank documents allegedly show 60 purchases totaling more than $10,000 from 2006 to 2010, and $7,000 paid to the doctor between 2006 and 2009.
FBI agents and intelligence analysts must submit to thorough reviews of their medical history. Investigators claim that the four had "concealed and covered up" their use of anabolic steroids and HGH.
Along with Special Agent James Barnett, 42, also with the Washington office, and counterterrorism analyst Ali Sawan, 45, the four allegedly met with doctors and received fake diagnoses for conditions including pituitary dwarfism beginning in 2006.
They allegedly received prescriptions for medications including anabolic steroids and HGH. The medications are used in bodybuilding to increase muscle mass and reduce recovery time after workouts.
The four FBI employees appeared one after the other Wednesday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah A. Robinson as charges were unsealed in U.S. District Court in Washington. The defendants were not asked to make any statements, and attorneys for Sawan and Matthew Litton declined to comment afterward. Attorneys for Barnett and Katia Litton left the courtroom before they could be questioned.
The Littons, of McLean; Barnett, of Alexandria; and Sawan, of Sterling, were required to submit to a drug test, give up their passports and any weapons, and stay within 50 miles of their homes. They were released on their own recognizance pending an Oct. 5 hearing.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the investigation.
However, an arrest affidavit filed in the cases of the Littons and Sawan by Special Agent J. Brian Burnett of the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General, notes that each worked with a part-time emergency room doctor.
In a side practice, the doctor advertised "hormone modulation therapy" to address such conditions as "adult onset growth hormone deficiency" and "adult onset growth testosterone deficiency," Burnett wrote.
Burnett said that the doctor wrote more than 5,200 prescriptions for anabolic steroids between September 2005 and January 2010 and that a nearby laboratory drew blood from 307 of the doctor's patients, all of whom were given a diagnosis of pituitary dwarfism or other recognized growth hormone deficiencies.
Three FBI agents and an FBI counterterrorism expert have been arrested and charged with obtaining thousands of dollars worth of steroids and human growth hormone using bogus medical diagnoses, and then lying about it on government health forms.
The headquarters building of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the J. Edgar Hoover building along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010. Three FBI agents and an FBI counter-terrorism expert have been arrested and charged with obtaining thousands of dollars worth of steroids and human growth hormone using bogus medical diagnoses, and then lying about it on government health forms. Collapse
Prosecutors say that two of the agents, a female bodybuilder and her husband, may have spent $17,000 on HGH, while a third male agent was visiting a gynecologist in order to obtain steroids and HGH. Two different doctors were allegedly writing prescriptions for the four suspects using false diagnoses of dwarfism, and one of the doctors had allegedly written more than 5,000 prescriptions for steroids in the past five years.
Agents Katia Litton, Matthew Litton and James Drew Barnett and intelligence analyst Ali Sawan were charged with making false statements on US government documents. Barnet, 42, and Katia Litton, 42, worked for the FBI's Washington field office, while Litton's 39-year-old husband Michael worked at the FBI's Critical Incident Response Group in Quantico, Virginia. Sawan, 45, is with the FBI's Counterterrorism Division.
According to affidavits unsealed Wednesday, Barnett used a board-certified gynecologist with a specialty in Age Management Medicine as his doctor to obtain HGH and steroids, and spent more than $10,000 on medical tests and prescriptions.
The affidavits also allege that Katia Litton competed as a bodybuilder as recently as 2002, and received 26 separate prescriptions from one of the doctors for HGH. Bank documents allegedly show 60 purchases totaling more than $10,000 from 2006 to 2010, and $7,000 paid to the doctor between 2006 and 2009.
FBI agents and intelligence analysts must submit to thorough reviews of their medical history. Investigators claim that the four had "concealed and covered up" their use of anabolic steroids and HGH.
Jersey high schools to resume steroid testing.
( all thanks to the Jersey Shore reality show :-) )
Steroid testing for New Jersey high school athletes will return for the 2010-11 school year, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Wednesday.
Steroid testing for New Jersey high school athletes will return for the 2010-11 school year, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Wednesday.
NJSIAA executive director Steve Timko said in June that steroid testing would be cut because the state government did provide any funds for it. But Timko said Wednesday the state did include funds in the budget it passed in July, so the testing is back.
The state and NJSIAA each contribute $50,000 to pay for the program.
The NJSIAA randomly will test 500 athletes who participate in state tournament games and matches this school year.
South African athletics hit by Actovegin scandal involving former East German coach.
A major doping scandal is brewing in South Africa involving former East German head coach Dr Ekkart Arbeit (pictured), who allegedly ordered that suspicious drugs were administered to the country's top sprinter.
It is another major blow to the sport there that is still reeling from the gender row scandal involving world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya.
The Citizen newspaper claims to have seen a forensic report from auditing firm Deloitte which discovered that Athletics South Africa (ASA) head coach Arbeit allegedly instructed the team doctor to give a suspicious substance to Geraldine Pillay, the 2004 African 100 metres champion and 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist.
The report was compiled after Deloitte was instructed to probe ASA’s financial affairs and other irregularities in the wake of the Semenya scandal.
Before taking up his role in South Africa, Arbeit coached Britain's Olympic 2000 heptathlon champion Denise Lewis as she prepared for the defence of her title in Athens in 2004.
There is no suggestion that Arbeit administered illegal drugs to Lewis.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympics Committee (SASCOC) has been given the report, The Citizen reported.
It is claimed that during a search of the office of ASA manager Molatelo Malehopo, they found "a small container containing a small ampule named Actovegin".
Investigators also found e-mails showing that ASA team doctor Dr Maaki Ramagole allegedly injected Pillay with the substance between April and May in 2008.
Ramagole sent Malehopo an e-mail on May 6, 2008, expressing her concerns over the administration of the drug, which is a calf-blood extract, to Pillay, who also won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Actovegin is not banned, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) keeps a suspicious eye on its use by athletes.
Ramagole wrote: "Hi, this is what Ekkart gave Geraldine and asked me to inject. I only checked it now on the Internet and I am worried that it is a banned substance. Please confirm with Harold [Dr Harold Adams, former ASA team doctor].”
It is another major blow to the sport there that is still reeling from the gender row scandal involving world 800 metres champion Caster Semenya.
The Citizen newspaper claims to have seen a forensic report from auditing firm Deloitte which discovered that Athletics South Africa (ASA) head coach Arbeit allegedly instructed the team doctor to give a suspicious substance to Geraldine Pillay, the 2004 African 100 metres champion and 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist.
The report was compiled after Deloitte was instructed to probe ASA’s financial affairs and other irregularities in the wake of the Semenya scandal.
Before taking up his role in South Africa, Arbeit coached Britain's Olympic 2000 heptathlon champion Denise Lewis as she prepared for the defence of her title in Athens in 2004.
There is no suggestion that Arbeit administered illegal drugs to Lewis.
The South African Sports Confederation and Olympics Committee (SASCOC) has been given the report, The Citizen reported.
It is claimed that during a search of the office of ASA manager Molatelo Malehopo, they found "a small container containing a small ampule named Actovegin".
Investigators also found e-mails showing that ASA team doctor Dr Maaki Ramagole allegedly injected Pillay with the substance between April and May in 2008.
Ramagole sent Malehopo an e-mail on May 6, 2008, expressing her concerns over the administration of the drug, which is a calf-blood extract, to Pillay, who also won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
Actovegin is not banned, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) keeps a suspicious eye on its use by athletes.
Ramagole wrote: "Hi, this is what Ekkart gave Geraldine and asked me to inject. I only checked it now on the Internet and I am worried that it is a banned substance. Please confirm with Harold [Dr Harold Adams, former ASA team doctor].”
Tesamorelin - the next trendy bodybuilding cutting drug ?
Tesamorelin is an effective medication for reducing treatment-related visceral adipose fat (VAT) in patients with HIV, a common problem with antiretroviral therapy. Substudies of 2 positive phase 3 trials of this drug were presented here at the 50th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC).
Both studies showed that tesamorelin was effective in reducing VAT across different subgroups of HIV-infected patients, and that reductions could be easily measured using waist circumference. Moreover, patients treated with this drug reported improvement in body image, researchers announced.
"A pooled analysis of 2 phase 3 clinical trials showed the efficacy of tesamorelin in reducing VAT, regardless of age, gender, race, hepatitis status, or antiretroviral regimen. Also, waist circumference measurements correlated with reductions in VAT seen on computed tomography [CT] scans," said Sophie Elise Michaud, PhD, an employee of Theratechnologies Inc. in Montreal, Quebec, who was coauthor of one of the studies.
Tesamorelin is an investigative analog of growth-hormone-releasing factor and growth-hormone-releasing hormone. The drug is pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but some investigators are not enthusiastic about using it, except perhaps for specific indications.
Both substudies presented at ICAAC were based on pooled data from two 26-week studies that consisted of 816 HIV-positive patients randomized to tesamorelin or placebo. Mean age was 48 years, and about 85% were male. Mean body mass index at baseline was 29 kg/m2, mean waist circumference was 105 cm, and mean waist-to-hip ratio was 1.
At 26 weeks, tesamorelin significantly reduced VAT, compared with placebo, regardless of age (patients were divided into 2 groups — 47 years or younger and older than 47 years), sex, race (whites, blacks, or other races), hepatitis status, viral load (detectable or undetectable), or antiretroviral regimen (P < .01 for all analyses compared with placebo).
Long-term safety of tesamorelin was similar to that of the main study population in all subgroups. The lead author of this subgroup analysis was Julian Falutz, MD, from McGill University Health Centre in Montreal.
A second substudy of the same group of patients found that waist circumference was a useful and simple measurement to assess the magnitude of VAT reduction without having to resort to a CT scan, which was used in the original phase 3 studies. This analysis found that body image was improved and that this improvement correlated with reductions in VAT. Monica Zoltowska, PhD, an employee of Theratechnologies, was lead author of this substudy.
At week 26, waist circumference was reduced by 2.4 cm in patients treated with tesamorelin, compared with no reduction in the placebo group (P = .002). Belly appearance distress was also significantly improved from baseline in treated patients (P ≥ .15)
"Now we know that doctors can find out if the drug works by measuring waist circumference and asking patients about their level of body image distress," Dr. Michaud said.
In Dr. Lundgren's opinion, even if tesamorelin is approved, it will not be used that often. "As soon as the drug is stopped, the fat comes back, so treatment would have to be lifelong," he explained. Patients with VAT could try diet and exercise for their bellies, he added.
Both studies showed that tesamorelin was effective in reducing VAT across different subgroups of HIV-infected patients, and that reductions could be easily measured using waist circumference. Moreover, patients treated with this drug reported improvement in body image, researchers announced.
"A pooled analysis of 2 phase 3 clinical trials showed the efficacy of tesamorelin in reducing VAT, regardless of age, gender, race, hepatitis status, or antiretroviral regimen. Also, waist circumference measurements correlated with reductions in VAT seen on computed tomography [CT] scans," said Sophie Elise Michaud, PhD, an employee of Theratechnologies Inc. in Montreal, Quebec, who was coauthor of one of the studies.
Tesamorelin is an investigative analog of growth-hormone-releasing factor and growth-hormone-releasing hormone. The drug is pending approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but some investigators are not enthusiastic about using it, except perhaps for specific indications.
Both substudies presented at ICAAC were based on pooled data from two 26-week studies that consisted of 816 HIV-positive patients randomized to tesamorelin or placebo. Mean age was 48 years, and about 85% were male. Mean body mass index at baseline was 29 kg/m2, mean waist circumference was 105 cm, and mean waist-to-hip ratio was 1.
At 26 weeks, tesamorelin significantly reduced VAT, compared with placebo, regardless of age (patients were divided into 2 groups — 47 years or younger and older than 47 years), sex, race (whites, blacks, or other races), hepatitis status, viral load (detectable or undetectable), or antiretroviral regimen (P < .01 for all analyses compared with placebo).
Long-term safety of tesamorelin was similar to that of the main study population in all subgroups. The lead author of this subgroup analysis was Julian Falutz, MD, from McGill University Health Centre in Montreal.
A second substudy of the same group of patients found that waist circumference was a useful and simple measurement to assess the magnitude of VAT reduction without having to resort to a CT scan, which was used in the original phase 3 studies. This analysis found that body image was improved and that this improvement correlated with reductions in VAT. Monica Zoltowska, PhD, an employee of Theratechnologies, was lead author of this substudy.
At week 26, waist circumference was reduced by 2.4 cm in patients treated with tesamorelin, compared with no reduction in the placebo group (P = .002). Belly appearance distress was also significantly improved from baseline in treated patients (P ≥ .15)
"Now we know that doctors can find out if the drug works by measuring waist circumference and asking patients about their level of body image distress," Dr. Michaud said.
In Dr. Lundgren's opinion, even if tesamorelin is approved, it will not be used that often. "As soon as the drug is stopped, the fat comes back, so treatment would have to be lifelong," he explained. Patients with VAT could try diet and exercise for their bellies, he added.
East Germans sports official admit teen athletes were given Turinabol.
Teenage athletes were also subjected to doping under communist East Germany's vast programme of steroid abuse, a leading former sports official has admitted in his upcoming new book.
Thomas Koehler, former vice president of the East German sports association DTSB, is the first high-ranking member of the defunct Stalinist state's sporting establishment to acknowledge that minors were also doped.
"When athletes participated (in doping programmes) from the age of 16, it was primarily done when their biological maturity was established," Koehler writes in the book "The Two Sides of the Medal", to be published this week.
Doping "had been planned for select elite athletes, who were generally adults.
"There were exceptions, however, for example in swimming -- a sport where the optimum age is lower. But the only athletes included were those who were among the best and had several years of training behind them," he writes.
Koehler, himself a two-time Olympic luge champion in 1964 and 1968, said that cheating was "the only way for East Germany to hold its own at the international level."
The 70-year-old said that the communist officials had the interest of their athletes at heart, with 90 sports doctors employed to monitor their health.
"The distribution of medication (steroids) occurred under the closest observation by medical doctors performing their duties," he insisted, disputing scientific evidence that athletes suffered ill effects from the little blue pills.
The East German state established a vast, systematic doping programme in the 1970s using Turinabol, an anabolic steroid which encourages muscle growth and allowed the country to excel in swimming, athletics and cycling.
During the 20-year period East Germany competed as a separate state, the small country of 16 million people won 519 medals at 11 Olympic games, 192 of which were gold.
To achieve this success, the state ensured its athletes had the best available facilities and equipment, coaching and medical check-ups, psychological testing and dietary supplements.
But it was the scale of state-sponsored doping -- known as State Plan 14.25 -- that set East Germany apart and was only brought to an end after the collapse of communism when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989.
It is estimated some 10,000 athletes were part of the doping programme which even involved the Stasi, the state's secret police service, to make sure competitors took Turinabol -- many allegedly without their knowledge.
The after-effects of large-scale doping only came to light later, with victims suffering from a host of disorders including cancer and sterility.
Thomas Koehler, former vice president of the East German sports association DTSB, is the first high-ranking member of the defunct Stalinist state's sporting establishment to acknowledge that minors were also doped.
"When athletes participated (in doping programmes) from the age of 16, it was primarily done when their biological maturity was established," Koehler writes in the book "The Two Sides of the Medal", to be published this week.
Doping "had been planned for select elite athletes, who were generally adults.
"There were exceptions, however, for example in swimming -- a sport where the optimum age is lower. But the only athletes included were those who were among the best and had several years of training behind them," he writes.
Koehler, himself a two-time Olympic luge champion in 1964 and 1968, said that cheating was "the only way for East Germany to hold its own at the international level."
The 70-year-old said that the communist officials had the interest of their athletes at heart, with 90 sports doctors employed to monitor their health.
"The distribution of medication (steroids) occurred under the closest observation by medical doctors performing their duties," he insisted, disputing scientific evidence that athletes suffered ill effects from the little blue pills.
The East German state established a vast, systematic doping programme in the 1970s using Turinabol, an anabolic steroid which encourages muscle growth and allowed the country to excel in swimming, athletics and cycling.
During the 20-year period East Germany competed as a separate state, the small country of 16 million people won 519 medals at 11 Olympic games, 192 of which were gold.
To achieve this success, the state ensured its athletes had the best available facilities and equipment, coaching and medical check-ups, psychological testing and dietary supplements.
But it was the scale of state-sponsored doping -- known as State Plan 14.25 -- that set East Germany apart and was only brought to an end after the collapse of communism when the Berlin Wall came down in November 1989.
It is estimated some 10,000 athletes were part of the doping programme which even involved the Stasi, the state's secret police service, to make sure competitors took Turinabol -- many allegedly without their knowledge.
The after-effects of large-scale doping only came to light later, with victims suffering from a host of disorders including cancer and sterility.
London Olympics team withdraw job offer given to weightlifter after his previous doping ban discovered.
London 2012 officials say a job offer to a former Olympic weightlifter has been withdrawn after they discovered he once received a two-year ban for being a drug cheat.
Sevdalin Marinov, who won gold for Bulgaria in the Seoul Games in 1988, was set to take up a position as technical operations manager for the weightlifting competition when the London Organizing Committee found out he had tested positive for steroids in 1995.
A statement from LOCOG says "we decided that this was not an appropriate appointment to make, given the role he will have within the sport competition."
Marinov also received a lifetime ban in 2003 when his flatmate was convicted of importing banned drugs. The ban was overturned four years later.
Sevdalin Marinov, who won gold for Bulgaria in the Seoul Games in 1988, was set to take up a position as technical operations manager for the weightlifting competition when the London Organizing Committee found out he had tested positive for steroids in 1995.
A statement from LOCOG says "we decided that this was not an appropriate appointment to make, given the role he will have within the sport competition."
Marinov also received a lifetime ban in 2003 when his flatmate was convicted of importing banned drugs. The ban was overturned four years later.
Rumour of major steroid bust in Pattaya, Thailand.
"some news from **** from **, Bangkok police have just raided the house of some one called "John" owner of "***bodybuilding. com" , apparently his house was full of gear and wu receipts po receipts etc , also took him and his computer up to bangkok , will let you know when i hear more"
The site is still up and this story is not in the Thai press. The tip comes from a very solid source so if you have recently used this supplier it would be wise to clean house until we know for sure.
( the three stars can be replaced by a single letter repeated three times, the site sells several of the most popular brands of Thai steroids including Unigen, Alpha Pharm, SB Labs and Thaiger )
The site is still up and this story is not in the Thai press. The tip comes from a very solid source so if you have recently used this supplier it would be wise to clean house until we know for sure.
( the three stars can be replaced by a single letter repeated three times, the site sells several of the most popular brands of Thai steroids including Unigen, Alpha Pharm, SB Labs and Thaiger )
Dirty counterfeiting operation ( of Desma Winstrol Depot ) and UGL ( Sun Labs + one other ) found in Canadian bodybuilder's house after burglary.
Laval police advise anyone who bought steroids on the black market recently to consult a doctor after investigators uncovered a clandestine lab in which several products were made in filthy conditions.
Patrol officers made the discovery in a home on Leandre Descotes St. after receiving a call about a break-in early Wednesday.
"What they found on the main floor were large bags of powders and jugs of liquids. Some were labelled, others weren't," Laval police Constable Nathalie Lorrain said.
After obtaining a search warrant, investigators found 200 vials ready for sale containing a liquid labelled as an anabolic steroid. A small vial of growth hormone was also seized, along with pills, more than 9,000 empty vials, a machine used to seal them and a machine to make pills. Labels from what is believed to be a fictitious pharmaceutical company were also found.
"The worst thing was that the liquid we found, which could be injected, was made in very dirty conditions. All the pots and bottles we found were very dirty," Lorrain said.
"Also, there were so many powders and chemicals that we can't identify them. We have to wait for Health Canada to analyze them. We think there could be a lot of chemicals that are bad for your health.
"We want to warn the public that if anyone bought, either in a gym or on the street, a product identified with the label Sun labs (believed to be the name of a fictitious steroid manufacturer), they should consult a doctor or a health professional. We really don't know what is in there. And if you have the products, please dispose of them quickly."
When the patrol officers went inside the home, the robber, or robbers, who had broken in were gone. So, Lorrain said, it is possible more of the black market steroids were stolen with the intent to sell them.
Neighbours told investigators that the owners of the home are out of the country. Lorrain said investigators hope to interview them when they return.
According to land registry records, a competitive bodybuilder is part-owner of the house that was searched.
Police in Laval are warning the public after officers responding to a reported break-in discovered a clandestine laboratory used to make steroids in the Chomedey district.
Investigators obtained a search warrant after the discovery was made Wednesday and found what they believe are the precursor elements to fabricating steroids, the Laval police said in a statement.
They also found packaging they believe was used to make the steroids appear to have come from a professional pharmaceutical company. It is not known whether the people who made the steroids used the proper methods to fabricate them. The condition of the lab and the equipment used is also a concern and the Laval police are concerned the products pose a serious health risk.
One product believed to have been fabricated was Winstrol, an anabolic steroid. The Laval police have issued a photo of the other labels involved , Sun Labs.
Canadian Football player banned for three years due to HGH.
A first-year running back at the University of Waterloo has received a three-year ban from football after testing positive for human growth hormone.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport says Matt Socholotiuk is the first athlete in North America to be caught using HGH.
The organization says the Waterford, Ont., native also tested positive for testosterone through a urine sample.
His blood sample contained HGH, according to the CCES.
Socholotiuk was initially banned for four years, but an arbitrator ultimately reduced the suspension to three years through to June 4, 2013.
In June, the school suspended its football program from competition for a full season after urine tests revealed nine anti-doping violations.
A total of 82 samples were collected March 31, with 62 being for urine and 20 for blood.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport says Matt Socholotiuk is the first athlete in North America to be caught using HGH.
The organization says the Waterford, Ont., native also tested positive for testosterone through a urine sample.
His blood sample contained HGH, according to the CCES.
Socholotiuk was initially banned for four years, but an arbitrator ultimately reduced the suspension to three years through to June 4, 2013.
In June, the school suspended its football program from competition for a full season after urine tests revealed nine anti-doping violations.
A total of 82 samples were collected March 31, with 62 being for urine and 20 for blood.
NYPD supervisor facing suspension.
The NYPD supervisor caught in a 2007 steroids probe faces a 30-day suspension and a year of probation for abusing human-growth hormone, The Post has learned.
A departmental trial for Deputy Chief Michael Marino, 52, second in command of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, resulted in the recommendation -- but the final decision on punishment will be made by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Marino, a 32-year NYPD vet, was among two dozen cops who bought steroids and HGH from Lowen's Compounding Pharmacy in Brooklyn.
Marino volunteered for a drug test in 2007, which showed he didn't have steroids in his system.
Marino had a prescription for HGH, but the NYPD rejected his claim that the muscle- and bone-enhancing drug was medically necessary, according to sources.
He had obtained the prescription from Dr. Richard Lucente of Staten Island, who was under investigation for writing thousands of steroid scripts.
Marino did not return a call for comment. Since the juicing scandal erupted, the NYPD has instituted random steroid testing for all officers.
A departmental trial for Deputy Chief Michael Marino, 52, second in command of Patrol Borough Brooklyn North, resulted in the recommendation -- but the final decision on punishment will be made by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Marino, a 32-year NYPD vet, was among two dozen cops who bought steroids and HGH from Lowen's Compounding Pharmacy in Brooklyn.
Marino volunteered for a drug test in 2007, which showed he didn't have steroids in his system.
Marino had a prescription for HGH, but the NYPD rejected his claim that the muscle- and bone-enhancing drug was medically necessary, according to sources.
He had obtained the prescription from Dr. Richard Lucente of Staten Island, who was under investigation for writing thousands of steroid scripts.
Marino did not return a call for comment. Since the juicing scandal erupted, the NYPD has instituted random steroid testing for all officers.
Scottish prison guard suspended for steroid smuggling.
A prison guard has been suspended after smuggling illegal steroids into jail for body-building cons. Vito Alongi was caught trying to sneak the pills into private Addiewell nick, West Lothian.
But the 51-year-old, from Edinburgh, claims he was forced into taking the drugs in by menacing gangsters. Part-time kitchen worker Alongi, who claims he is now under police protection, said: "It's dangerous. I've had threats."
The pills, many thought to be taken in by crooked staff, are rife in Scots jails. Some guards say they fear the "Hulk Hogan" lags. One warder said: "Most of the prisoners are working out all the time. "Combined with the steroids, that's making them a force to be reckoned with. It's intimidating." An insider at the Scottish Prison Service admitted the Class C pills were "present" in most jails.
A spokesperson for Addiewell operator Kalyx said they "have managed to prevent many drugs including steroids from getting in". Alongi was suspended on full pay eight days ago.
But the 51-year-old, from Edinburgh, claims he was forced into taking the drugs in by menacing gangsters. Part-time kitchen worker Alongi, who claims he is now under police protection, said: "It's dangerous. I've had threats."
The pills, many thought to be taken in by crooked staff, are rife in Scots jails. Some guards say they fear the "Hulk Hogan" lags. One warder said: "Most of the prisoners are working out all the time. "Combined with the steroids, that's making them a force to be reckoned with. It's intimidating." An insider at the Scottish Prison Service admitted the Class C pills were "present" in most jails.
A spokesperson for Addiewell operator Kalyx said they "have managed to prevent many drugs including steroids from getting in". Alongi was suspended on full pay eight days ago.
Duke Nukem Forever video game to feature steroids power up :-)
This pic shows what I assume was a promotional giveaway at a recent press preview of the much delayed Duke Nukem Forever game finally due for release in 2011.
( the long awaited follow up to a game I played nearly a decade ago, I'm sure with all the current anti-steroid propaganda the steroids powerup will be removed from the final retail version ).
Canadian football player tests positive for HGH.
The first athlete to positive test for human growth hormone in North America is a Canadian college football player whose team was suspended for the 2010 season because of a steroid scandal.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports (CCES) says one of the 20 blood tests collected from the University of Waterloo team came back positive for HGH.
Earlier this year, the British anti-doping authority announced a two-year ban on a rugby player, who became the first athlete anywhere to be suspended for using HGH.
In June, Waterloo suspended its football program for a full season after finding evidence of nine doping violations from 62 urine tests. One of those athlete's blood tests also came back positive for HGH. His sanction will be announced next Wednesday, along with penalties for three other players.
HGH is among the hardest performance-enhancing drugs to test for, with no urine test available and a new blood test being developed that is expected to augment the one currently being used.
The Waterloo case is being called the most significant doping issue in the history of Canadian college sports. The school tested the entire team after a player was arrested in the spring and charged with possession and trafficking of anabolic steroids.
The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports (CCES) says one of the 20 blood tests collected from the University of Waterloo team came back positive for HGH.
Earlier this year, the British anti-doping authority announced a two-year ban on a rugby player, who became the first athlete anywhere to be suspended for using HGH.
In June, Waterloo suspended its football program for a full season after finding evidence of nine doping violations from 62 urine tests. One of those athlete's blood tests also came back positive for HGH. His sanction will be announced next Wednesday, along with penalties for three other players.
HGH is among the hardest performance-enhancing drugs to test for, with no urine test available and a new blood test being developed that is expected to augment the one currently being used.
The Waterloo case is being called the most significant doping issue in the history of Canadian college sports. The school tested the entire team after a player was arrested in the spring and charged with possession and trafficking of anabolic steroids.
Wisconsin bodybuilder indicted on charge of possessing steroid with intent to distribute.
A bodybuilder from northern Wisconsin has been indicted on charges of possessing an anabolic steroid with the intent to distribute.
A federal grand jury in Madison returned the indictment against Michael R. Wozny of Hayward on Thursday. The 32-year-old is expected to be arraigned on Sept. 30.
The indictment includes few details, saying only that Wozny allegedly possessed an anabolic steroid in November 2007. An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration led to the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.
A federal grand jury in Madison returned the indictment against Michael R. Wozny of Hayward on Thursday. The 32-year-old is expected to be arraigned on Sept. 30.
The indictment includes few details, saying only that Wozny allegedly possessed an anabolic steroid in November 2007. An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration led to the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.
Ex-trooper accused of steroid-dealing set for trial in Kerrville.
After talks of a possible plea bargain sputtered Friday, a Nov. 3 trial date was set for a former state trooper charged with dealing steroids.
Jeffery Jerman, 34, also faces a federal charge of conspiring to distribute steroids, and his lawyers wanted the local prosecutor to drop the three state charges filed here.
But District Attorney Amos Barton said he plans to proceed with his case against Jerman who, authorities say, sold $800 worth of steroids — while in uniform and in a police cruiser — to a confidential informant last September.
In declining federal prosecutors' request to drop the case, Barton said, “I'm simply not convinced that a federal jury in San Antonio cares about our community like we do.”
Jerman, who was fired in December, also was charged with steroid possession in Kendall County, where he lives. The prosecutor in that case, Lucy Wilke, agreed to drop it when asked by federal prosecutors.
Jeffery Jerman, 34, also faces a federal charge of conspiring to distribute steroids, and his lawyers wanted the local prosecutor to drop the three state charges filed here.
But District Attorney Amos Barton said he plans to proceed with his case against Jerman who, authorities say, sold $800 worth of steroids — while in uniform and in a police cruiser — to a confidential informant last September.
In declining federal prosecutors' request to drop the case, Barton said, “I'm simply not convinced that a federal jury in San Antonio cares about our community like we do.”
Jerman, who was fired in December, also was charged with steroid possession in Kendall County, where he lives. The prosecutor in that case, Lucy Wilke, agreed to drop it when asked by federal prosecutors.
Australian who bit parking attendants admits steroid use.
A Sydney court has heard a man who attacked two parking rangers in six months has a history of steriod use and major depression. Nektarias Houllis has been sentenced to a minimum of 18 months in jail.
He pleaded guilty to recklessly causing grevious bodily harm to Mahmud Swalah McDahrou last November. Downing Centre District Court heard Houllis left the parking ranger with a bite to the face, a broken wrist and a knee injury.
In a victim impact statement Mr McDahrou said he has ongoing medical problems and cannot work. Houllis told the court he regrets what happened and has sent a letter of apology to Mr McDahrou.
Houllis admitted taking steroids at the time and agreed with the Crown he has an anger management problem but was not aware of it when he assaulted another parking ranger six months earlier. In sentencing Houllis, the judge described his behaviour as being of the worst kind and totally unacceptable.
He pleaded guilty to recklessly causing grevious bodily harm to Mahmud Swalah McDahrou last November. Downing Centre District Court heard Houllis left the parking ranger with a bite to the face, a broken wrist and a knee injury.
In a victim impact statement Mr McDahrou said he has ongoing medical problems and cannot work. Houllis told the court he regrets what happened and has sent a letter of apology to Mr McDahrou.
Houllis admitted taking steroids at the time and agreed with the Crown he has an anger management problem but was not aware of it when he assaulted another parking ranger six months earlier. In sentencing Houllis, the judge described his behaviour as being of the worst kind and totally unacceptable.
Federal agents claim decorated Madison pharmacist and partner sold millions of fake Viagra, sleeping pills and diet drugs online.
A Madison business owner who has been honored for her civic-mindedness has been jailed, along with a Middleton man, on federal charges alleging they imported and sold millions of doses of fake Viagra and other counterfeit drugs, and conspired to illegally to sell powerful pain-killers, stimulants and tranquilizers.
Marla Ahlgrimm, 55, is the owner of Women's Health America and pharmacies that provide hormone replacement therapy to alleviate premenstrual symptoms and other problems. She authored two books on the subject and has served on the UW Foundation board for more than a decade. Since graduating from the UW-Madison pharmacy school in 1978 she has been recognized locally and nationally.
Ahlgrimm and co-defendant is Balbir Bhogal, 63, were spending their second night in the Dane County Jail on Thursday night, pending a court hearing Friday.
Ahlgrimm was arrested Wednesday after she walked into her office on Deming Way as investigators were executing a search warrant, her lawyer said.
"It was a shock, that's the best word for it," said lawyer Timothy Edwards. "Our goal right now is to get her out of custody."
Ahlgrimm and Bhogal are charged in the federal court for the Eastern District of New York and the prosecutor there is insisting that they not be released, Edwards said.
"The idea that she is a flight risk or a danger to the community is ludicrous," said Edwards, who will argue that his client be released pending further court proceedings in New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman in Madison said Wednesday that "all I can say is the government is asking for detention." Bhogal's lawyer, Erika L. Bierma, wasn't available, according to a person who answered the phone at her office.
Details of the complaint
A criminal complaint accuses Ahlgrimm and Bhogal of working together to import from India pills that had the markings of well-known prescription drugs, but which contained either none of the actual medication or a low or incorrect dosage.
According to the complaint, signed by FBI agent James J. Cunningham Jr.:
An unnamed "confidential source" who ran an Internet pharmacy service said that from February 2008 to May 2009 he bought millions of tablets of Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication, and Phentermine, a stimulant, from the defendants, arranging the transactions via email.
The informant was not a pharmacist or physician and couldn't legally purchase the supplies for his business from U.S. manufacturers. Payments went to accounts controlled by the defendants.
A second such source reported ordering prescription pain-killers oxycodone and hydrocodone, and generic versions of the male erectile disfunction medication Viagra. Law enforcement officials intercepted shipments and found thousands of pills manufactured in the trademarked shapes and colors of the genuine medications, and with trademarked imprints. Testing found the pills either lacked the active ingredients or the proper levels of the active ingredients that would make the medications effective.
Investigators linked the transactions to companies, addresses, websites and e-mail addresses associated with Ahlgrimm and with Nutragen, LLC, a company that lists Bhogal as its registered agent.
Ahlgrimm founded Women's Health America in the 1990s and co-founded Madison Pharmacy Associates in 1982.
Money magazine singled her out for her investment savvy in 1992. In 2001, The Business Forum in Madison nominated her for an Athena Award recognizing her accomplishments. She was honored in 2008 by A Fund for Women as one of six Fabulous Firsts as a pioneer in her field.
She has served on the United Way of Dane County and the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy boards, and funds a pharmacy school scholarship in her name.
Investigation involved several agencies. Edwards, Ahlgrimm's lawyer, said he couldn't respond to the charges because they were too vague.
Marla Ahlgrimm, 55, is the owner of Women's Health America and pharmacies that provide hormone replacement therapy to alleviate premenstrual symptoms and other problems. She authored two books on the subject and has served on the UW Foundation board for more than a decade. Since graduating from the UW-Madison pharmacy school in 1978 she has been recognized locally and nationally.
Ahlgrimm and co-defendant is Balbir Bhogal, 63, were spending their second night in the Dane County Jail on Thursday night, pending a court hearing Friday.
Ahlgrimm was arrested Wednesday after she walked into her office on Deming Way as investigators were executing a search warrant, her lawyer said.
"It was a shock, that's the best word for it," said lawyer Timothy Edwards. "Our goal right now is to get her out of custody."
Ahlgrimm and Bhogal are charged in the federal court for the Eastern District of New York and the prosecutor there is insisting that they not be released, Edwards said.
"The idea that she is a flight risk or a danger to the community is ludicrous," said Edwards, who will argue that his client be released pending further court proceedings in New York.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman in Madison said Wednesday that "all I can say is the government is asking for detention." Bhogal's lawyer, Erika L. Bierma, wasn't available, according to a person who answered the phone at her office.
Details of the complaint
A criminal complaint accuses Ahlgrimm and Bhogal of working together to import from India pills that had the markings of well-known prescription drugs, but which contained either none of the actual medication or a low or incorrect dosage.
According to the complaint, signed by FBI agent James J. Cunningham Jr.:
An unnamed "confidential source" who ran an Internet pharmacy service said that from February 2008 to May 2009 he bought millions of tablets of Alprazolam, an anti-anxiety medication, and Phentermine, a stimulant, from the defendants, arranging the transactions via email.
The informant was not a pharmacist or physician and couldn't legally purchase the supplies for his business from U.S. manufacturers. Payments went to accounts controlled by the defendants.
A second such source reported ordering prescription pain-killers oxycodone and hydrocodone, and generic versions of the male erectile disfunction medication Viagra. Law enforcement officials intercepted shipments and found thousands of pills manufactured in the trademarked shapes and colors of the genuine medications, and with trademarked imprints. Testing found the pills either lacked the active ingredients or the proper levels of the active ingredients that would make the medications effective.
Investigators linked the transactions to companies, addresses, websites and e-mail addresses associated with Ahlgrimm and with Nutragen, LLC, a company that lists Bhogal as its registered agent.
Ahlgrimm founded Women's Health America in the 1990s and co-founded Madison Pharmacy Associates in 1982.
Money magazine singled her out for her investment savvy in 1992. In 2001, The Business Forum in Madison nominated her for an Athena Award recognizing her accomplishments. She was honored in 2008 by A Fund for Women as one of six Fabulous Firsts as a pioneer in her field.
She has served on the United Way of Dane County and the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy boards, and funds a pharmacy school scholarship in her name.
Investigation involved several agencies. Edwards, Ahlgrimm's lawyer, said he couldn't respond to the charges because they were too vague.
Swedish internet source on the run arrested in Pattaya, Thailand.
A Swedish fugitive hiding out in Pattaya became one of the first victims of the Chonburi Immigration Police’s new transnational criminal system when he was arrested while checking in at immigration offices in Jomtien Beach.
Swedish fugitive Amini Kamran became one of the first victims of the Chonburi Immigration Police’s new transnational criminal system.
Amini Kamran, 37, was wanted on a Swedish arrest warrant issued in May for illegally selling 37.6 million baht in drugs and medical products over the Internet. Facing a six-year jail term, the Swede fled the country for Thailand where he had been hiding out in Pattaya under the guise of a language student since November 13, 2009.
On Aug. 5, Amini went to the Chonburi Immigration Office to extend his education visa. When his name was entered into immigration’s new Transnational Criminal Database system, the warrant popped up and he was placed in custody, caught thanks to the same Internet on which he supposedly had made his illicit income.
The Transnational Crime Center officially opened this month and pulls together warrants from law enforcement agencies around the world as well as visitor information from hotels and condominiums in order to track down wanted foreign criminals.
The Swede’s visa was canceled and he was prepared for deportation. He also was blacklisted from returning to the Kingdom.
Crackdown on Thai pharmacies continues.
On Thursday evening, police conducted a sting operation to buy sexual enhanced tablets for male at Pro Pharmacy, Pattaya Tai after being tipped off about illegally purchasing these aphrodisiac drugs.
The police sent a foreign spy to buy two packs of tablet-Kamagra worth 1,000 baht in the drugstore whose owner was named Mr. Warun Tanawitittawanit, 39. The police showed up and arrested Warun before searching for other illegal and fake drugs.
They found 8 packs of tablet-Kamagra, 59 packs of gel-Kamagra, 5,180 strong sleeping pills, and 24 tablets of fake Kamagra imported from India, all valued 300,000 baht.
When questioned, Warun confessed that he sold those drugs but strenuously denied they were fake and medically registered, but he had no proof therefore the police arrested and charged him for selling fake Viagra, selling medical products without permission". All evidence was confiscated and Warn was held for further questioning.
Postal service contractor caught stealing prescription pharmaceuticals sent to patients.
A Covington man contracted to deliver U.S. Postal Service mail admitted in federal court to stealing a marked parcel that he believed contained 180 tablets of hydrocodone.
Anthony Holcombe, 28, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to mail theft, punishable by a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervision following release.
U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey is scheduled to sentence him on Nov. 16.
Holcombe's arrest was the product of a sting on March 20, 2008, in which Postal Service Special Agent Chris Nugent prepared a packaged that purported to be from the New Orleans Veterans Affairs Medical Center, according to the factual basis that Holcombe signed as part of his plea.
After complaints from veterans that they were not receiving their prescribed medications, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Inspector General contacted the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General and the two began a joint investigation into the matters, the factual basis states.
They soon narrowed their scope. The package Nugent prepared was labeled from "7968 Essen Park Avenue, Pharmacy Service 119, Baton Rouge, LA 70809" and contained an electronic transmitter to track it, along with 180 fake hydrocodone tablets, the factual basis states.
Holcombe was a highway contract route driver for Pelican Mail Transport, a company contracted by the Postal Service. He was responsible for transporting mail from the New Orleans Processing and Distribution Plant, 701 Loyola Ave., to post offices in Amite, Roseland, Fluker, Tangipahoa and Kentwood, the court records state.
On March 20, 2008, after Holcombe failed to deliver the parcel to its specified address in Amite, investigators located it via the transmitter and pulled Holcombe over, court records state.
Investigators found a gray and black duffle bag in the middle of the front seat, observed the package inside and arrested him.
Anthony Holcombe, 28, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to mail theft, punishable by a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervision following release.
U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey is scheduled to sentence him on Nov. 16.
Holcombe's arrest was the product of a sting on March 20, 2008, in which Postal Service Special Agent Chris Nugent prepared a packaged that purported to be from the New Orleans Veterans Affairs Medical Center, according to the factual basis that Holcombe signed as part of his plea.
After complaints from veterans that they were not receiving their prescribed medications, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Inspector General contacted the Postal Service's Office of Inspector General and the two began a joint investigation into the matters, the factual basis states.
They soon narrowed their scope. The package Nugent prepared was labeled from "7968 Essen Park Avenue, Pharmacy Service 119, Baton Rouge, LA 70809" and contained an electronic transmitter to track it, along with 180 fake hydrocodone tablets, the factual basis states.
Holcombe was a highway contract route driver for Pelican Mail Transport, a company contracted by the Postal Service. He was responsible for transporting mail from the New Orleans Processing and Distribution Plant, 701 Loyola Ave., to post offices in Amite, Roseland, Fluker, Tangipahoa and Kentwood, the court records state.
On March 20, 2008, after Holcombe failed to deliver the parcel to its specified address in Amite, investigators located it via the transmitter and pulled Holcombe over, court records state.
Investigators found a gray and black duffle bag in the middle of the front seat, observed the package inside and arrested him.
Six Indian wrestlers test positive.
Dealing a body blow to Indian medal hopes at the Commonwealth Games, six wrestlers, including Arjuna awardee Rajiv Tomar, and shot-putter Sourav Vij tested positive for methylhexaneamine, a nasal decongestant in the prohibited list of non-specified substances.
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