Two Ukrainian men pleaded guilty today to conspiring to import and sell illegal steroids and to money laundering in the culmination of an investigation that started in Pittsburgh and spread to three continents.
Oleksandr Skochyk, 35 -- who authorities said went by the name Musclebear -- and Yeveniy Suray, 29, both of Kiev, will be sentenced June 21 and likely face prison terms of three to five years.
They sold some 40,000 doses of anabolic steroids and synthetic testosterone to Americans, through dealers in Pittsburgh, Iowa, Texas and Washington state, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Dillon, who is prosecuting the cases. The drugs were made in Ukraine, China and Thailand.
The bust of the Pittsburgh dealer, Paul G. Matthews, led agents to their sources in the Ukraine. A Food and Drug Administration undercover agent arranged a meeting with them in Cyprus in 2010, at which time they detailed their business dealings and were arrested.
"These defendants were essentially at the top of this conspiracy," said Mr. Dillon.
Their defense attorneys, Chris Rand Eyster and William C. Kaczynski, confirmed that the two were involved in steroid sales, but disputed that they played leading roles in any conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Donetta W. Ambrose will determine whether they played leadership roles, which will have a big impact on their sentences.
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