Showing posts with label Testosterone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Testosterone. Show all posts
Compounding pharmacy owners expected to plead guilty.
Less than a week after they were charged, two defendants are scheduled to plead guilty in a set of criminal cases alleging illegal distribution of steroids and performance-enhancing hormones to athletes.
Set to plead on Nov. 5 are William M. Sadowski, 46, who ran the Robinson-based business ANEWrx, and John F. Gavin, 51, of Valencia, a registered nurse who worked for him. Both are charged with conspiracy to distribute steroids.
U.S. District Judge Maurice B. Cohill scheduled the plea hearings.
Criminal charges against both were filed Wednesday. On Friday, related indictments were unsealed in cases against Richard Rydze, 62, of Downtown; James Hatzimbes, 42, whose business is based in Pleasant Hills; and William Zipf, 56, formerly of Pittsburgh but now imprisoned in Morgantown, W.Va.
The charges against Mr. Sadowski and Mr. Gavin alleged that ANEWrx catered to Dr. Rydze's clients. ANEWrx, court papers said, charged patients premium prices and paid part of the margin to the physician.
Dr. Rydze faces a 185-count indictment alleging that he improperly prescribed steroids, growth hormone and narcotics, defrauded health insurers and obstructed justice. He pleaded not guilty Monday. He was one of the Steelers' doctors for around 20 years ending in 2007.
Study claims muscle growth due to post workout hormonal spike is a myth.
A new study has exposed as myth the popular belief that increased levels of hormones after intense weight-training sessions play a key role in building muscles.
Researchers at McMaster University have found that exercise-induced testosterone and growth hormone do not play any influential role in building muscle after weightlifting.
Testosterone - a steroid hormone secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females - is essential for sexual development and for gaining muscle mass and energy. Growth hormone is a peptide hormone that stimulates growth and cell reproduction, and these two hormones are considered very important to quality of life.
Study author Daniel West says trying to manipulate these anabolic hormones through exercises is a sheer waste of time.
Two separate studies comprised the research. In the first study, men and women were subjected to intense leg exercise. All though there was a 45-fold difference in testosterone increase, the men and women were able to make new muscle protein at exactly the same rate.
"While testosterone is definitely anabolic and promotes muscle growth in men and women at high doses, such as those used during steroid abuse, our findings show that naturally occurring levels of testosterone do not influence the rate of muscle protein synthesis," West noted.
In the second study, 56 young men aged 18-30 trained five days a week for 12 weeks, and the researchers analyzed their hormonal responses post exercise. Some men gained up to 12 pounds of muscle mass, while some virtually nothing. But, their muscle growth and strength gain did not show any relationship to the levels of testosterone and growth hormone.
A surprising find by the researchers was that cortisol - a steroid hormone which reduces protein synthesis and breaks down tissue - was related to gain in muscle mass.
The studies were published in the Journal of Applied Physiology and the European Journal of Applied Physiology.
Androgen replacement appears not to increase prostate cancer risk.
Testosterone replacement therapy appears to be safe and does not increase the incidence of prostate cancer, according to a study published online June 6 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) appears to be safe and does not increase the incidence of prostate cancer, according to a study published online June 6 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Mark R. Feneley, M.D., from University College Hospital, and Malcolm Carruthers, M.D., from the Centre for Men's Health -- both in London, conducted an updated audit to analyze the long-term incidence of prostate cancer for men receiving TRT. Data were reviewed from 1,365 men (mean age, 55 years) with symptomatic androgen deficiency receiving TRT (pellet implants, Restandol, mesterolone, and Testogel) and monitored for up to 20 years. All patients were prescreened for prostate cancer, and endocrine, biochemical, hematological, and urinary profiles were conducted at baseline and every six months.
After 2,966 man-years of treatment, the researchers found that 14 new cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed (one case per 212 years of treatment). The mean time to diagnosis was 6.3 years (range, one to 12 years). All of the tumors were suitable for potentially curative treatment and were clinically localized. Starting testosterone treatment had no statistically significant impact on total prostate-specific antigen (PSA), free PSA, or the ratio of free:total PSA. There was no association seen between any initial PSA change and subsequent diagnosis of cancer.
"This study adds to the considerable weight of evidence that with proper clinical monitoring, testosterone treatment is safe for the prostate and improves early detection of prostate cancer," the authors write. "Testosterone treatment with regular monitoring of the prostate may be safer for the individual than any alternative without surveillance."
Green tea could mask testosterone doping.
Athletes who cheat by doping themselves with testosterone may be able to mask their actions by drinking green tea. Large quantities might even provide a legal performance boost by raising levels of testosterone in the blood.
Abuse of testosterone is hard to spot because the steroid hormone is found naturally in men and women. Tests rely on detecting an unusual ratio of testosterone to a hormone called epitestosterone in urine.
In lab tests, Declan Naughton and colleagues at Kingston University London discovered that compounds called catechins, found in tea, inhibit an enzyme called UGT2B17. This enzyme attaches glucuronic acid to testosterone, making it more likely to be excreted in urine.
Catechins are present in green and white tea but not in black. "Levels from a strong cup of green tea match those we used in our experiments," Naughton says.
Athletes dosing themselves with testosterone may be able to reduce the amount of hormone entering their urine by drinking green or white tea. Tea alone may also boost circulating levels of testosterone by blocking its excretion.
The researchers have informed the World Anti-Doping Agency in Montreal, Canada, of their findings. If the same effect occurs in human bodies, one answer would be to test athletes' blood, rather than urine.
WADA is aiming to add regular checks of blood steroids to its "biological passports", which monitor athletes for suspicious changes in their physiology. That should foil any attempt to fool the urine test, says Olivier Rabin, WADA's science director.
Rabin also doubts that tea alone will have much effect on performance, compared with the big boosts in testosterone seen in doping cases. "It would be fairly modest," he says.
Abuse of testosterone is hard to spot because the steroid hormone is found naturally in men and women. Tests rely on detecting an unusual ratio of testosterone to a hormone called epitestosterone in urine.
In lab tests, Declan Naughton and colleagues at Kingston University London discovered that compounds called catechins, found in tea, inhibit an enzyme called UGT2B17. This enzyme attaches glucuronic acid to testosterone, making it more likely to be excreted in urine.
Catechins are present in green and white tea but not in black. "Levels from a strong cup of green tea match those we used in our experiments," Naughton says.
Athletes dosing themselves with testosterone may be able to reduce the amount of hormone entering their urine by drinking green or white tea. Tea alone may also boost circulating levels of testosterone by blocking its excretion.
The researchers have informed the World Anti-Doping Agency in Montreal, Canada, of their findings. If the same effect occurs in human bodies, one answer would be to test athletes' blood, rather than urine.
WADA is aiming to add regular checks of blood steroids to its "biological passports", which monitor athletes for suspicious changes in their physiology. That should foil any attempt to fool the urine test, says Olivier Rabin, WADA's science director.
Rabin also doubts that tea alone will have much effect on performance, compared with the big boosts in testosterone seen in doping cases. "It would be fairly modest," he says.
Houston man charged with testosterone prescription fraud.
A Houston man who authorities said obtained testosterone with a fake prescription has been charged in the case.
Philip Abraham Makdisi, 49, faces a felony charge of obtaining a controlled substance through fraud, according to court documents.
Investigators said he went to CVS Pharmacy at 5725 N. Eldridge on July 14 and used the name of a Houston podiatrist to obtain a prescription for testosterone, a steroid.
The doctor learned of about the alleged con when she received a prescription verification request from the pharmacy for Makdisi, a patient whom she had not seen in years, prosecutors said.
"The prescription was in the patient name of Philip Makdisi and was for the schedule III controlled substance Testosterone," the criminal complaint states. The doctor told investigators that "she is a doctor of podiatry and seldom issues prescriptions for controlled substances and has never authorized prescriptions for testosterone."
The store pharmacist, who identified Makdisi in a photo lineup, remembered the suspect well.
"That guy?" the pharmacist replied when police asked if he knew him. Investigators said the pharmacist described Makdisi as a "huge" man in his 40s "with a bald head and weighing over 300 pounds." He said the suspect "is hard to miss."
Philip Abraham Makdisi, 49, faces a felony charge of obtaining a controlled substance through fraud, according to court documents.
Investigators said he went to CVS Pharmacy at 5725 N. Eldridge on July 14 and used the name of a Houston podiatrist to obtain a prescription for testosterone, a steroid.
The doctor learned of about the alleged con when she received a prescription verification request from the pharmacy for Makdisi, a patient whom she had not seen in years, prosecutors said.
"The prescription was in the patient name of Philip Makdisi and was for the schedule III controlled substance Testosterone," the criminal complaint states. The doctor told investigators that "she is a doctor of podiatry and seldom issues prescriptions for controlled substances and has never authorized prescriptions for testosterone."
The store pharmacist, who identified Makdisi in a photo lineup, remembered the suspect well.
"That guy?" the pharmacist replied when police asked if he knew him. Investigators said the pharmacist described Makdisi as a "huge" man in his 40s "with a bald head and weighing over 300 pounds." He said the suspect "is hard to miss."
Positive mainstream news story on Testosterone replacement.
Some people jokingly call it "manopause," a guy's version of menopause. Some doctors call it andropause, because of a decline in androgen, or testosterone. Others may claim it is just a "mid-life crisis." However it is described, there is a medical solution for men that can make a difference.
49-year-old Patrick Stolle from Houston says there is nothing embarrassing about it. He is man enough to admit that guys should get help for typical signs of a declining testosterone level. Stolle says the term "manopause" does not bother him at all.
"No, it doesn't. If that's what they want to call it, that's fine. I think men go through some sort of thing. Men lose some of our hormone levels, as well, so they start to drop off. If you can get on something that will bring your levels back up - that's fantastic," exclaims Stolle.
The Mayo Clinic says testosterone levels vary greatly among men, though in general, older men usually have lower testosterone levels than younger men. Doctors say males lose about one percent of their testosterone one year after the age of 30. That means by 70 years old, men may lose fifty percent of their testosterone.
What are the symptoms of "manopause?"
"Poor stamina, poor exercise tolerance, poor sleep pattern, poor response to exercise, loss of muscle mass, and increased body fat, things like that," explains Dr. Richard LeConey. A lower libido is also often experienced during this time in life.
Dr. LeConey offers a simple blood test at his Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine and Skin Spa in Houston, to check testosterone levels.
"Statistically you could say it (testosterone) declines in the late 50s to 60s, some men still have an excellent testosterone level late into their 70s," says Dr. LeConey.
Stolle had his levels checked when he was only 40 to make sure he was staying as youthful as possible. He began taking HCG injections to prompt a boost in his testosterone.
"The first thing I noticed (after taking HCG), I was able to sleep better and feel more rested in the mornings, and I think I had more energy as well during the day. I think long-term, probably- I play sports - I had a little more stamina, more strength," explains Stolle. He also noticed that his skin appeared more youthful.
Other patients at the Institute of Anti-Aging, like Mike Hoiden from Richmond, use a topical testosterone cream, every day.
"All you can tell if you don't do it is you're tired and lethargic. If you do it, you have all your energy," says Hoiden. A little more than one year ago, Hoiden came to a crossroads in life.
"I felt like a slug, I weighed 360 pounds, couldn't lose weight, couldn't get off the floor when I knelt down. I had to do something," says Hoiden, who discovered three things to get him back on track.
"You have to have your testosterone working, because when you're my age, your testosterone is shot! Your metabolic system is gone, so you have to do the right exercise because if you hurt yourself, can't do anything. You have to eat the right food, take in the right nutrition," says Hoiden. Once he figured that out, Hoiden lost more than 100 pounds with the help of what he describes as a tripod: healthy eating, testosterone cream, and his trainer.
"Healthwise, he was in pretty rough shape. As you can imagine, being 360 pounds made just regularly daily living difficult", says Dr. Brian Sekula from Becoming Indestructible. He helped get Hoiden moving again, slowly but surely.
"When you get everything balanced, it's 180 degrees opposite - your health is almost perfect," says Dr. Sekula.
After changing his lifestyle and losing 100 pounds, Hoiden says he feels like he is suddenly twenty years younger. "To put it bluntly, the personal life with my wife is phenomenally enhanced, I can do things, go places, and take care of my farm," says Hoiden. He says he got his life back.
Stolle hopes others will learn they can benefit from a simple treatment, as well. "I think it's a great thing if you can extend your youth more, feel better, sleep better, have more energy! For me it's, "Why not," says Stolle.
Doctors say it is important to make sure there is not an illness that could be prompting a low testosterone level, like sleep apnea or complications from being overweight. For anyone who suffers any of the symptoms mentioned earlier, it is important to consult with a doctor and not just attribute the symptoms to the aging process.
Testosterone cream is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and available only by prescription.
49-year-old Patrick Stolle from Houston says there is nothing embarrassing about it. He is man enough to admit that guys should get help for typical signs of a declining testosterone level. Stolle says the term "manopause" does not bother him at all.
"No, it doesn't. If that's what they want to call it, that's fine. I think men go through some sort of thing. Men lose some of our hormone levels, as well, so they start to drop off. If you can get on something that will bring your levels back up - that's fantastic," exclaims Stolle.
The Mayo Clinic says testosterone levels vary greatly among men, though in general, older men usually have lower testosterone levels than younger men. Doctors say males lose about one percent of their testosterone one year after the age of 30. That means by 70 years old, men may lose fifty percent of their testosterone.
What are the symptoms of "manopause?"
"Poor stamina, poor exercise tolerance, poor sleep pattern, poor response to exercise, loss of muscle mass, and increased body fat, things like that," explains Dr. Richard LeConey. A lower libido is also often experienced during this time in life.
Dr. LeConey offers a simple blood test at his Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine and Skin Spa in Houston, to check testosterone levels.
"Statistically you could say it (testosterone) declines in the late 50s to 60s, some men still have an excellent testosterone level late into their 70s," says Dr. LeConey.
Stolle had his levels checked when he was only 40 to make sure he was staying as youthful as possible. He began taking HCG injections to prompt a boost in his testosterone.
"The first thing I noticed (after taking HCG), I was able to sleep better and feel more rested in the mornings, and I think I had more energy as well during the day. I think long-term, probably- I play sports - I had a little more stamina, more strength," explains Stolle. He also noticed that his skin appeared more youthful.
Other patients at the Institute of Anti-Aging, like Mike Hoiden from Richmond, use a topical testosterone cream, every day.
"All you can tell if you don't do it is you're tired and lethargic. If you do it, you have all your energy," says Hoiden. A little more than one year ago, Hoiden came to a crossroads in life.
"I felt like a slug, I weighed 360 pounds, couldn't lose weight, couldn't get off the floor when I knelt down. I had to do something," says Hoiden, who discovered three things to get him back on track.
"You have to have your testosterone working, because when you're my age, your testosterone is shot! Your metabolic system is gone, so you have to do the right exercise because if you hurt yourself, can't do anything. You have to eat the right food, take in the right nutrition," says Hoiden. Once he figured that out, Hoiden lost more than 100 pounds with the help of what he describes as a tripod: healthy eating, testosterone cream, and his trainer.
"Healthwise, he was in pretty rough shape. As you can imagine, being 360 pounds made just regularly daily living difficult", says Dr. Brian Sekula from Becoming Indestructible. He helped get Hoiden moving again, slowly but surely.
"When you get everything balanced, it's 180 degrees opposite - your health is almost perfect," says Dr. Sekula.
After changing his lifestyle and losing 100 pounds, Hoiden says he feels like he is suddenly twenty years younger. "To put it bluntly, the personal life with my wife is phenomenally enhanced, I can do things, go places, and take care of my farm," says Hoiden. He says he got his life back.
Stolle hopes others will learn they can benefit from a simple treatment, as well. "I think it's a great thing if you can extend your youth more, feel better, sleep better, have more energy! For me it's, "Why not," says Stolle.
Doctors say it is important to make sure there is not an illness that could be prompting a low testosterone level, like sleep apnea or complications from being overweight. For anyone who suffers any of the symptoms mentioned earlier, it is important to consult with a doctor and not just attribute the symptoms to the aging process.
Testosterone cream is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and available only by prescription.
Taylor Hooton Foundation spokesman claims fastest fastest growing group of anabolic steroid users are cheerleaders ( no pun intended )
Removed due to original source complaint :-)
More Anti-steroid propaganda from Australia.
Security guard Darren Sweeney once gave into the temptation of using steroids to help gain more muscle tone.
‘‘I was on a diet and managed to lose 43kilograms but I was still a bit flabby around my stomach. I wanted something to help tighten up a bit so I tried steroids for about four months,’’ he said.
The then 23-year-old gained 10 kilograms of muscle within two months but it came at a price.
‘‘I had constant muscle pain in my forearms and was more aggressive,’’ Mr Sweeney said.
Now 38, Mr Sweeney agreed steroid use had significantly increased among young men wanting to bulk up quickly.
‘‘I’ve seen kids as young as 15 [using steroids],’’ he said.
‘‘Basically they are just wanting to look good in front of their mates and girls.’’
The most visible sign is severe acne on the back and tricep muscles. Mr Sweeney, who now uses herbal supplements, said steroids were widely available ‘‘if you know the right people’’.
‘‘For something like Sustanon 250, I’ve heard you can pay between $180 to $200 for a 10millilitre ampoule,’’ he said.
‘‘The real worry is these kids don’t know what they are doing to themselves.’’
‘‘I was on a diet and managed to lose 43kilograms but I was still a bit flabby around my stomach. I wanted something to help tighten up a bit so I tried steroids for about four months,’’ he said.
The then 23-year-old gained 10 kilograms of muscle within two months but it came at a price.
‘‘I had constant muscle pain in my forearms and was more aggressive,’’ Mr Sweeney said.
Now 38, Mr Sweeney agreed steroid use had significantly increased among young men wanting to bulk up quickly.
‘‘I’ve seen kids as young as 15 [using steroids],’’ he said.
‘‘Basically they are just wanting to look good in front of their mates and girls.’’
The most visible sign is severe acne on the back and tricep muscles. Mr Sweeney, who now uses herbal supplements, said steroids were widely available ‘‘if you know the right people’’.
‘‘For something like Sustanon 250, I’ve heard you can pay between $180 to $200 for a 10millilitre ampoule,’’ he said.
‘‘The real worry is these kids don’t know what they are doing to themselves.’’
Anti-steroid propaganda from Australia.
Steroid abuse is on the increase again.
Popular some years ago, anabolic steroids fell into disfavour as their side-effects became apparent and "roid-heads" became objects of ridicule.
Sadly, a new generation - one perhaps not yet fully exposed to the downside of steroids - is being seduced by the false promise of a shortcut to a perfect body.
In their own time these youngsters will discover the truth - that a steroid-inflated body is about as convincing and impressive as a fake tan and that the personal cost of abuse can be horrendous.
Even if the purity of black market steroids could be guaranteed (it can't), abusers run the risk of detrimental impacts on their personalities and behaviour. "Roid rage" is just the tip of an iceberg of psychological symptoms that produce the opposite of the self-esteem and self-assurance that many abusers are seeking.
The physical symptoms are potentially dreadful too. Bodies out of proportion, unwelcome "man boobs", shrunken genitals and acne explosions are just the beginning. Internal damage is prevalent and can be irreversible.
To the extent that steroid abuse reflects anxiety among young men about their body image, it represents a growing problem that demands serious attention. Like eating disorders in both young men and women, the problem is a symptom of an increasingly prevalent mental health issue.
Hospital admissions and many social studies indicate that growing numbers of young people are so anxious and depressed about their apparent failure to conform to the socially approved body image that they will endanger their physical health in an attempt to attain their perceived "ideal".
It is hard to isolate a single cause for this trend, but poor diet, coupled with widespread obesity and, ironically, publicity campaigns designed to combat obesity are involved in the mix. The promotion in the entertainment media of a narrow range of body types as "ideal" has frequently been blamed for inducing body image anxiety in females. Nowadays it might just as fairly be blamed for producing the same effects in males.
Popular some years ago, anabolic steroids fell into disfavour as their side-effects became apparent and "roid-heads" became objects of ridicule.
Sadly, a new generation - one perhaps not yet fully exposed to the downside of steroids - is being seduced by the false promise of a shortcut to a perfect body.
In their own time these youngsters will discover the truth - that a steroid-inflated body is about as convincing and impressive as a fake tan and that the personal cost of abuse can be horrendous.
Even if the purity of black market steroids could be guaranteed (it can't), abusers run the risk of detrimental impacts on their personalities and behaviour. "Roid rage" is just the tip of an iceberg of psychological symptoms that produce the opposite of the self-esteem and self-assurance that many abusers are seeking.
The physical symptoms are potentially dreadful too. Bodies out of proportion, unwelcome "man boobs", shrunken genitals and acne explosions are just the beginning. Internal damage is prevalent and can be irreversible.
To the extent that steroid abuse reflects anxiety among young men about their body image, it represents a growing problem that demands serious attention. Like eating disorders in both young men and women, the problem is a symptom of an increasingly prevalent mental health issue.
Hospital admissions and many social studies indicate that growing numbers of young people are so anxious and depressed about their apparent failure to conform to the socially approved body image that they will endanger their physical health in an attempt to attain their perceived "ideal".
It is hard to isolate a single cause for this trend, but poor diet, coupled with widespread obesity and, ironically, publicity campaigns designed to combat obesity are involved in the mix. The promotion in the entertainment media of a narrow range of body types as "ideal" has frequently been blamed for inducing body image anxiety in females. Nowadays it might just as fairly be blamed for producing the same effects in males.
Police officer suspect in drug sting.
A Stockton police officer was arrested in a sting Thursday night on suspicion of trafficking steroids, the Police Department reported Friday.
The officer, 26-year-old Darrin Fagundes, was arrested around 9:10 p.m. in a Tracy parking lot, along with Anthony Scott Kubena, 38.
Both were booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of possession for sale of a controlled substance, a felony.
The investigation of Fagundes was an internal investigation by the Stockton Police Department, said Officer Pete Smith, a police spokesman.
Fagundes, hired in 2007, has been placed on administrative leave.
Smith said there is no evidence that the investigation, still ongoing, will reach further into the Police Department's ranks. Smith also said he did not know exactly what Kubena's part was.
"He was involved in the transaction (Thursday) taking place during the arrest," Smith said.
The officer, 26-year-old Darrin Fagundes, was arrested around 9:10 p.m. in a Tracy parking lot, along with Anthony Scott Kubena, 38.
Both were booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of possession for sale of a controlled substance, a felony.
The investigation of Fagundes was an internal investigation by the Stockton Police Department, said Officer Pete Smith, a police spokesman.
Fagundes, hired in 2007, has been placed on administrative leave.
Smith said there is no evidence that the investigation, still ongoing, will reach further into the Police Department's ranks. Smith also said he did not know exactly what Kubena's part was.
"He was involved in the transaction (Thursday) taking place during the arrest," Smith said.
Spain claims to have zero tolerance for doping.
The Spanish government has 'zero tolerance' for doping, Deputy Prime Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Friday.
The comments came a day after steeplechase world champion Marta Dominguez and 13 others - including two of her coaches, her agent and doctor Eufemiano Fuentes - were detained on charges of involvement with a doping ring supplying athletes with banned substances.
On Friday, European 1,500m champion Nuria Fernandez and Ethiopian- born European cross country champion Alemayehu Bezabeh were called to testify as witnesses, along with fellow athletes Reyes Estevez, Eugenio Barrio and Digna Luz Murillo, El Pais reported.
None of them was arrested 'since there is no evidence of their involvement in the doping substance distribution network,' the report said.
Rubalcaba called the Dominguez arrest 'very bad news,' but emphasized that 'many people compete honestly for their country.'
'It would be terrible if, because a few, important as they may be, cheat, it would be thought that everyone cheats,' the vice premier said.
'Operation Greyhound' was launched in April, when investigators found evidence that a network of people might be facilitating illegal blood transfusions among sports professionals.
Police Thursday raided the homes of athletes, coaches and doctors in Madrid, Las Palmas, Alicante, Segovia and Palencia. They seized large quantities of steroids, hormones and medication including erythropoietin (EPO), along with bags containing blood and documents about doping practices.
Several Spanish athletes on Friday expressed support for the operation, which they said gives them 'new hope for a cleaner future.'
'We support ... the court process that has been launched. We think it is the right track towards the total eradication of doping from Spanish sport,' said a statement signed by scores of athletes including Manuel Martinez, Juan Carlos Higuero, Ruth Beitia and Mayte Martinez.
'So far, systems for the detection of banned substances have not given the desired results,' they said. 'Cheats have enjoyed an impunity that despaired other sportspeople, who saw themselves condemned to competing at a disadvantage.'
El Pais reported that Alemayehu admitted to having taken banned substances. He was excluded Thursday from the Spain delegation that was to take part Sunday in the European cross country championships in Portugal, where he was regarded as a favourite.
Nuria Fernandez, however, is set to take part in the championships, although Manuel Pascua, the coach she shares with Alemayehu, was arrested Thursday.
The IAAF could only intervene after the police investigation concluded and if it could access the evidence, sources from the ruling athletics body said.
Dominguez, 35, won the 3,000m steeplechase world title 2009 in Berlin and is a European 5,000m champion from 2002 and 2006.
She will miss the 2011 season as she is pregnant, but reportedly plans to return in 2012 for the London Olympics.
She was questioned for eight hours and later released. Three other suspects - a cycling trainer and two pharmacists - were also released.
Suspects detained in Madrid, including Fuentes, were to be questioned by judges from Sunday onwards. Dominguez was expected to appear in court in her home city of Palencia, but the date for the hearing has not yet been set.
This investigation is the third of its kind directed against doping in Spain.
Last year, 20km race walker Francisco Fernandez, a 2006 European champion and 2004 Olympic silver medallist, was banned after Operation Grail.
In 2006, the physician Fuentes was at the centre of the biggest probe so far, Operation Puerto, which targeted cyclists, team officials and doctors over blood doping.
Fuentes was not punished at the time because Spain only introduced anti-doping legislation later in 2006.
The comments came a day after steeplechase world champion Marta Dominguez and 13 others - including two of her coaches, her agent and doctor Eufemiano Fuentes - were detained on charges of involvement with a doping ring supplying athletes with banned substances.
On Friday, European 1,500m champion Nuria Fernandez and Ethiopian- born European cross country champion Alemayehu Bezabeh were called to testify as witnesses, along with fellow athletes Reyes Estevez, Eugenio Barrio and Digna Luz Murillo, El Pais reported.
None of them was arrested 'since there is no evidence of their involvement in the doping substance distribution network,' the report said.
Rubalcaba called the Dominguez arrest 'very bad news,' but emphasized that 'many people compete honestly for their country.'
'It would be terrible if, because a few, important as they may be, cheat, it would be thought that everyone cheats,' the vice premier said.
'Operation Greyhound' was launched in April, when investigators found evidence that a network of people might be facilitating illegal blood transfusions among sports professionals.
Police Thursday raided the homes of athletes, coaches and doctors in Madrid, Las Palmas, Alicante, Segovia and Palencia. They seized large quantities of steroids, hormones and medication including erythropoietin (EPO), along with bags containing blood and documents about doping practices.
Several Spanish athletes on Friday expressed support for the operation, which they said gives them 'new hope for a cleaner future.'
'We support ... the court process that has been launched. We think it is the right track towards the total eradication of doping from Spanish sport,' said a statement signed by scores of athletes including Manuel Martinez, Juan Carlos Higuero, Ruth Beitia and Mayte Martinez.
'So far, systems for the detection of banned substances have not given the desired results,' they said. 'Cheats have enjoyed an impunity that despaired other sportspeople, who saw themselves condemned to competing at a disadvantage.'
El Pais reported that Alemayehu admitted to having taken banned substances. He was excluded Thursday from the Spain delegation that was to take part Sunday in the European cross country championships in Portugal, where he was regarded as a favourite.
Nuria Fernandez, however, is set to take part in the championships, although Manuel Pascua, the coach she shares with Alemayehu, was arrested Thursday.
The IAAF could only intervene after the police investigation concluded and if it could access the evidence, sources from the ruling athletics body said.
Dominguez, 35, won the 3,000m steeplechase world title 2009 in Berlin and is a European 5,000m champion from 2002 and 2006.
She will miss the 2011 season as she is pregnant, but reportedly plans to return in 2012 for the London Olympics.
She was questioned for eight hours and later released. Three other suspects - a cycling trainer and two pharmacists - were also released.
Suspects detained in Madrid, including Fuentes, were to be questioned by judges from Sunday onwards. Dominguez was expected to appear in court in her home city of Palencia, but the date for the hearing has not yet been set.
This investigation is the third of its kind directed against doping in Spain.
Last year, 20km race walker Francisco Fernandez, a 2006 European champion and 2004 Olympic silver medallist, was banned after Operation Grail.
In 2006, the physician Fuentes was at the centre of the biggest probe so far, Operation Puerto, which targeted cyclists, team officials and doctors over blood doping.
Fuentes was not punished at the time because Spain only introduced anti-doping legislation later in 2006.
Spain's first lady of athletics suspended on steroids trafficking charges.
Martha Dominguez, the world steeplechase champion, was yesterday suspended as one of four vice-presidents of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation after being charged in a major doping investigation. This is the third major doping scandal to hit Spanish sport in the past four years.
In a letter yesterday on the federation website, its president José Maria Odriozola told the athlete: “In light of the events relating to an alleged doping scheme in which you have been implicated, I have decided to suspend you provisionally as vice-president of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation. I hope these charges will be resolved rapidly and we can learn the extent of your implication as soon as possible.”
Police detained Dominguez and interrogated her for seven hours before charging her with trafficking and distributing doping products. She is four months pregnant and so was released on bail late on Thursday night.
Police searched her home in Palencia and were later seen carrying out boxes, a computer and sports bags believed to contain steroids, hormones and other performance-enhancing drugs, as well as files and other records.
In a police action codenamed Operation Galgo (Greyhound), 13 other people were also detained for questioning. They included Dominguez’s coach and manager, doctors, pharmacists and a cyclist. Three of them have been charged and remanded in custody to appear before a judge tomorrow. Police have not discounted the possibility of further arrests.
Among the detainees were Dr Eufemio Fuentes and his sister Yolanda, who were both named in 2006 as part of Operation Puerto, the largest doping investigation in Spanish sporting history, when police discovered large quantities of steroids, bags of oxygenated blood, EPO, other drugs and files with names of their clients in Fuentes’s laboratory in Madrid. Operation Puerto resulted in the eresulted in the expulsion of two Tour de France cycling teams and the suspension of four cyclists.
The case was dropped a year later because doping in sports was not then considered a public health offence in Spain. The case was reopened a year later after it had been included in the Spanish penal code, and leading cyclist Alejandro Valverde was suspended.
Dominguez had, until falling into disgrace yesterday, been considered the first lady of Spanish athletics.
In a letter yesterday on the federation website, its president José Maria Odriozola told the athlete: “In light of the events relating to an alleged doping scheme in which you have been implicated, I have decided to suspend you provisionally as vice-president of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation. I hope these charges will be resolved rapidly and we can learn the extent of your implication as soon as possible.”
Police detained Dominguez and interrogated her for seven hours before charging her with trafficking and distributing doping products. She is four months pregnant and so was released on bail late on Thursday night.
Police searched her home in Palencia and were later seen carrying out boxes, a computer and sports bags believed to contain steroids, hormones and other performance-enhancing drugs, as well as files and other records.
In a police action codenamed Operation Galgo (Greyhound), 13 other people were also detained for questioning. They included Dominguez’s coach and manager, doctors, pharmacists and a cyclist. Three of them have been charged and remanded in custody to appear before a judge tomorrow. Police have not discounted the possibility of further arrests.
Among the detainees were Dr Eufemio Fuentes and his sister Yolanda, who were both named in 2006 as part of Operation Puerto, the largest doping investigation in Spanish sporting history, when police discovered large quantities of steroids, bags of oxygenated blood, EPO, other drugs and files with names of their clients in Fuentes’s laboratory in Madrid. Operation Puerto resulted in the eresulted in the expulsion of two Tour de France cycling teams and the suspension of four cyclists.
The case was dropped a year later because doping in sports was not then considered a public health offence in Spain. The case was reopened a year later after it had been included in the Spanish penal code, and leading cyclist Alejandro Valverde was suspended.
Dominguez had, until falling into disgrace yesterday, been considered the first lady of Spanish athletics.
Australian detective swapped Police intel for steroids.
Police corruption busters have nabbed a homicide squad detective for allegedly leaking secrets to organised crime gangs.
The detective senior constable was suspended this week.
His arrest followed an eight-month probe into his activities by the Office of Police Integrity.
The detective had been under surveillance for months and was allegedly observed meeting organised crime figures.
He allegedly provided confidential information in return for steroids. He is believed to have used some and sold others.
OPI investigators this week searched the homicide squad office in St Kilda Rd and removed material belonging to the detective. Officers from the Ethical Standards Department assisted in the search and the arrest.
The case has sent shockwaves through the homicide squad.
OPI investigators are trying to discover if the alleged corrupt activities of the detective jeopardised any investigations.
They are concerned about what the detective might have been expected to do in return for getting drugs.
The detective has allegedly been trading secret information to the criminals who allegedly supplied him with steroids.
Apart from facing possible drug charges, he may also be charged under section 127a of the Police Regulation Act, which relates to unauthorised disclosure of information and documents, and which carries a maximum jail term of two years.
A Victoria Police spokesman yesterday confirmed an officer had been interviewed in relation to the release of information and drug-related matters.
"No charges have been laid at this stage; however, the detective senior constable has been suspended with pay. This is an ongoing investigation, no further information will be released," he said.
An Australian Crime Commission report warned about increased steroid use, including by police officers.
"Users are body-building and gym enthusiasts, members of the gay scene, people in occupations requiring physical prowess (security guards and police)," its Australian Illicit Drugs report said.
The detective senior constable was suspended this week.
His arrest followed an eight-month probe into his activities by the Office of Police Integrity.
The detective had been under surveillance for months and was allegedly observed meeting organised crime figures.
He allegedly provided confidential information in return for steroids. He is believed to have used some and sold others.
OPI investigators this week searched the homicide squad office in St Kilda Rd and removed material belonging to the detective. Officers from the Ethical Standards Department assisted in the search and the arrest.
The case has sent shockwaves through the homicide squad.
OPI investigators are trying to discover if the alleged corrupt activities of the detective jeopardised any investigations.
They are concerned about what the detective might have been expected to do in return for getting drugs.
The detective has allegedly been trading secret information to the criminals who allegedly supplied him with steroids.
Apart from facing possible drug charges, he may also be charged under section 127a of the Police Regulation Act, which relates to unauthorised disclosure of information and documents, and which carries a maximum jail term of two years.
A Victoria Police spokesman yesterday confirmed an officer had been interviewed in relation to the release of information and drug-related matters.
"No charges have been laid at this stage; however, the detective senior constable has been suspended with pay. This is an ongoing investigation, no further information will be released," he said.
An Australian Crime Commission report warned about increased steroid use, including by police officers.
"Users are body-building and gym enthusiasts, members of the gay scene, people in occupations requiring physical prowess (security guards and police)," its Australian Illicit Drugs report said.
British Policeman tells court he started using steroids as a male contraceptive
A Police sergeant accused of dealing steroids to pals has told jurors he first started using the illegal drugs as a form of male contraception.
Northumbria officer Darren Towers is accused of bulk buying anabolic steroids to distribute to fellow bodybuilders and turning a blind eye to others who were dealing.
The former seaman, who spent time in the Royal Navy before joining the force, denies conspiracy to supply steroids and misconduct in public office. He is being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.
The 41-year-old, who was based in Sunderland, told jurors yesterday he first started using steroids in the late 1990s when his wife was having problems taking the contraceptive pill, but believed they were legal.
He said: “My wife was on the contraceptive pill and it caused issues for her, effects the pill was having.
“As a result of that, and things I had read in magazines, I was aware testosterone was being tried as a male contraceptive and I looked into that to see if it could be an option for me to use, instead of my wife.”
When asked by his barrister Julian Smith if he went on to use steroids as a contraceptive he said: “I did, yes.”
Towers said his research prompted him to believe steroids were legal to possess and import for personal use.
He stopped using the drugs as a contraceptive when he and his wife decided to start a family.
The court heard Towers joined the police in 1998 and “excelled” through his training.
Towers, who continued his bodybuilding and became a black belt in martial arts, told jurors he became the target of a criminal gang because of his work on the beat in Hendon, Sunderland.
He said he received personal threats from the Hendon Mad Dogs and was advised by his superiors to take steps, such as alternating his route home, to protect himself.
The officer was visibly upset as he told the court: “They were notorious within Sunderland for the crimes they were committing against people, so much so there was a task force set up to target these people.
“I was already involved in incidents, where I had arrested three people single handedly, and they started targeting me as an individual.”
Towers said on one occasion his hat was stolen in Hendon, put on top of a telegraph pole, and threats written in chalk of what was going to happen to him.
On another occasion a sign was put up in Hendon which depicted a gun and indicating the officer would be next.
Towers said despite the threats, regulars at the Nissan gym where he trained, and a gym in Pelaw, were aware he was a serving officer and he never made a secret of the fact.
Towers also spent time with the armed response unit and was posted to Gill Bridge police station in Sunderland where he worked as custody sergeant.
It was in 2006, when Towers decided to take his bodybuilding to a competitive level, he decided to use steroids alongside his almost daily gym sessions, strict diet and vitamin supplements.
He said he once again checked into the legality of taking the drugs and concluded he was not doing anything wrong. The trial continues.
Northumbria officer Darren Towers is accused of bulk buying anabolic steroids to distribute to fellow bodybuilders and turning a blind eye to others who were dealing.
The former seaman, who spent time in the Royal Navy before joining the force, denies conspiracy to supply steroids and misconduct in public office. He is being tried by a jury at Newcastle Crown Court.
The 41-year-old, who was based in Sunderland, told jurors yesterday he first started using steroids in the late 1990s when his wife was having problems taking the contraceptive pill, but believed they were legal.
He said: “My wife was on the contraceptive pill and it caused issues for her, effects the pill was having.
“As a result of that, and things I had read in magazines, I was aware testosterone was being tried as a male contraceptive and I looked into that to see if it could be an option for me to use, instead of my wife.”
When asked by his barrister Julian Smith if he went on to use steroids as a contraceptive he said: “I did, yes.”
Towers said his research prompted him to believe steroids were legal to possess and import for personal use.
He stopped using the drugs as a contraceptive when he and his wife decided to start a family.
The court heard Towers joined the police in 1998 and “excelled” through his training.
Towers, who continued his bodybuilding and became a black belt in martial arts, told jurors he became the target of a criminal gang because of his work on the beat in Hendon, Sunderland.
He said he received personal threats from the Hendon Mad Dogs and was advised by his superiors to take steps, such as alternating his route home, to protect himself.
The officer was visibly upset as he told the court: “They were notorious within Sunderland for the crimes they were committing against people, so much so there was a task force set up to target these people.
“I was already involved in incidents, where I had arrested three people single handedly, and they started targeting me as an individual.”
Towers said on one occasion his hat was stolen in Hendon, put on top of a telegraph pole, and threats written in chalk of what was going to happen to him.
On another occasion a sign was put up in Hendon which depicted a gun and indicating the officer would be next.
Towers said despite the threats, regulars at the Nissan gym where he trained, and a gym in Pelaw, were aware he was a serving officer and he never made a secret of the fact.
Towers also spent time with the armed response unit and was posted to Gill Bridge police station in Sunderland where he worked as custody sergeant.
It was in 2006, when Towers decided to take his bodybuilding to a competitive level, he decided to use steroids alongside his almost daily gym sessions, strict diet and vitamin supplements.
He said he once again checked into the legality of taking the drugs and concluded he was not doing anything wrong. The trial continues.
British Policeman denies supplying anabolic steroids made by UGL WildCat.
( despite what the journalist claims below possession of anabolic steroids for personal use isn't illegal in the UK. )
A Police officer muscleman supplied steroids to fellow bodybuilders and turned a blind eye to their drug dealings, a court heard.
Darren Towers, a custody sergeant with Northumbria Police, is accused of conspiring with two other men to supply the class C drugs.
Towers, 41, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, is also alleged to have committed misconduct in public office by failing to investigate the other two despite knowing they were involved in criminal activity.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Towers, a keen bodybuilder, had bought and sold steroids to share between a group of friends he knew from a gym where he worked out.
The other two men, Martin Flett and Martin Fannan, have already pleaded guilty to the drug charge but Towers denies that and misconduct.
Alex Menary, prosecuting, said: “The defendant is a serving police officer, a custody sergeant with Northumbria Police.
“Flett lived close to the defendant and they trained at the same gym and all three are linked by their involvement in bodybuilding and their use of steroids. The prosecution say all three conspired to supply steroids among themselves and to others.
“This is not a case of standing on street corners, this is on a low-level basis among users of these drugs and friends and associates in the gym where they trained.
“He also misconducted himself by failing to report the activities of Flett and Fannan. He knew these two were dealing steroids and failed to report and investigate that.”
Towers, a police officer with Northumbria since 1998, was working as a custody sergeant in Sunderland at the time of his arrest. Officers went to his home in March and he was arrested and a stash of steroids and tablets was found. When Towers’ phone was analysed there were hundreds of text messages between him and Flett, which prosecutors say were to set up deals. In one of the texts Towers is said to have told Flett: “Don’t forget to delete this message.”
Mr Menary said: “He knows text messages leave a trail and a saying ‘don’t forget to delete this’ as he doesn’t want to leave a trail.”
Jurors were told Towers must have known steroids were illegal as he allegedly checked the police computer system to see what their legal status was. When he was arrested, Towers said he had done some research on the internet and claimed he didn’t think steroids were illegal.
He said he had been using the drugs since 2006 but denied selling them to others, saying he knew Flett but had never given him anything other than legal protein powder.
Prosecutors say the steroids were obtained from various sources but mainly from a firm called Wildcat.
Flett, 27, of Ely Way, Fellgate, Jarrow, and Fannan, 34, of Hudson Avenue, Horden, County Durham, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to supply drugs charge.
Towers denies conspiracy to supply drugs and misconduct between April 1, 2009, and April 1, 2010.
A Police officer muscleman supplied steroids to fellow bodybuilders and turned a blind eye to their drug dealings, a court heard.
Darren Towers, a custody sergeant with Northumbria Police, is accused of conspiring with two other men to supply the class C drugs.
Towers, 41, from Jarrow, South Tyneside, is also alleged to have committed misconduct in public office by failing to investigate the other two despite knowing they were involved in criminal activity.
Newcastle Crown Court heard Towers, a keen bodybuilder, had bought and sold steroids to share between a group of friends he knew from a gym where he worked out.
The other two men, Martin Flett and Martin Fannan, have already pleaded guilty to the drug charge but Towers denies that and misconduct.
Alex Menary, prosecuting, said: “The defendant is a serving police officer, a custody sergeant with Northumbria Police.
“Flett lived close to the defendant and they trained at the same gym and all three are linked by their involvement in bodybuilding and their use of steroids. The prosecution say all three conspired to supply steroids among themselves and to others.
“This is not a case of standing on street corners, this is on a low-level basis among users of these drugs and friends and associates in the gym where they trained.
“He also misconducted himself by failing to report the activities of Flett and Fannan. He knew these two were dealing steroids and failed to report and investigate that.”
Towers, a police officer with Northumbria since 1998, was working as a custody sergeant in Sunderland at the time of his arrest. Officers went to his home in March and he was arrested and a stash of steroids and tablets was found. When Towers’ phone was analysed there were hundreds of text messages between him and Flett, which prosecutors say were to set up deals. In one of the texts Towers is said to have told Flett: “Don’t forget to delete this message.”
Mr Menary said: “He knows text messages leave a trail and a saying ‘don’t forget to delete this’ as he doesn’t want to leave a trail.”
Jurors were told Towers must have known steroids were illegal as he allegedly checked the police computer system to see what their legal status was. When he was arrested, Towers said he had done some research on the internet and claimed he didn’t think steroids were illegal.
He said he had been using the drugs since 2006 but denied selling them to others, saying he knew Flett but had never given him anything other than legal protein powder.
Prosecutors say the steroids were obtained from various sources but mainly from a firm called Wildcat.
Flett, 27, of Ely Way, Fellgate, Jarrow, and Fannan, 34, of Hudson Avenue, Horden, County Durham, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to supply drugs charge.
Towers denies conspiracy to supply drugs and misconduct between April 1, 2009, and April 1, 2010.
Major international UG lab busted in Cyprus.
( there are of course several famous UG brands based in Cyprus and it's neighbours, the hint about forthcoming raids in other countries is worrying )
Five people including a pensioner couple and their son, were arrested yesterday after substantial quantities of raw materials that could be used to manufacture illegal anabolic steroids were located in a laboratory during a police raid in Nicosia.
The couple, aged 72 and 71, were expected to be released after questioning, police said.
Their 43-year-old son and two foreign inividuals, 25 and 32, will be brought before a court today for a remand hearing.
Police spokesman Michael Katsounotos said there was some concern that if, as police suspected, steroids were being manufactured at the warehouse, that they were being distributed around the world from Cyprus.
After receiving information from Germany recently, Cypriot police launched multiple operations around the island yesterday, while similar simultaneous operations were launched around Europe and in the US in an attempt to crack down on illegal anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “At 8am a raid was executed. We issued a total of seven search warrants for premises for which we suspect were used to manufacture, store and distribute prohibited substances.''
Katsounotos said that simultaneous operations were launched in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland and the US. According to Katsounotos the operation was coordinated by the German police.
Katsounotos said that in six of the premises no illegal substances were found. However in one, believed to be inside Kronos Commercial Centre in Latsia, Nicosia, large quantities of raw materials were found which could be used to manufacture prohibited drugs, namely anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “All the materials and documentation found on the premises have been confiscated and sent to be analysed by the state laboratory.”
He said that from documents confiscated it appeared that the alleged steroids were exported abroad. However he could not rule out the possibility that some were released into the Cypriot market, he said. “We need to carry out further investigations” Katsounotos added.
Responding to questions as to whether any arrests had been made, Katsounotos said: “The manager of the laboratory is out of the country, he is wanted for questioning. As soon as he gets back we will speak to him. We are still in the initial stages of our investigation.”
Five people including a pensioner couple and their son, were arrested yesterday after substantial quantities of raw materials that could be used to manufacture illegal anabolic steroids were located in a laboratory during a police raid in Nicosia.
The couple, aged 72 and 71, were expected to be released after questioning, police said.
Their 43-year-old son and two foreign inividuals, 25 and 32, will be brought before a court today for a remand hearing.
Police spokesman Michael Katsounotos said there was some concern that if, as police suspected, steroids were being manufactured at the warehouse, that they were being distributed around the world from Cyprus.
After receiving information from Germany recently, Cypriot police launched multiple operations around the island yesterday, while similar simultaneous operations were launched around Europe and in the US in an attempt to crack down on illegal anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “At 8am a raid was executed. We issued a total of seven search warrants for premises for which we suspect were used to manufacture, store and distribute prohibited substances.''
Katsounotos said that simultaneous operations were launched in Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland and the US. According to Katsounotos the operation was coordinated by the German police.
Katsounotos said that in six of the premises no illegal substances were found. However in one, believed to be inside Kronos Commercial Centre in Latsia, Nicosia, large quantities of raw materials were found which could be used to manufacture prohibited drugs, namely anabolic steroids.
Katsounotos said: “All the materials and documentation found on the premises have been confiscated and sent to be analysed by the state laboratory.”
He said that from documents confiscated it appeared that the alleged steroids were exported abroad. However he could not rule out the possibility that some were released into the Cypriot market, he said. “We need to carry out further investigations” Katsounotos added.
Responding to questions as to whether any arrests had been made, Katsounotos said: “The manager of the laboratory is out of the country, he is wanted for questioning. As soon as he gets back we will speak to him. We are still in the initial stages of our investigation.”
Prosecutor of Signature pharmacy steroids case faces $75 million law suit.
An upstate New York prosecutor who charged a Florida pharmacy in 2007 with selling anabolic steroids to pro athletes and entertainers is being sued for $75 million by the pharmacists, who claim defamation and false arrest with their indictments now dismissed in criminal court.
Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares made headlines when he accompanied federal and state agents in a raid at Signature Pharmacy in Orlando and charged its operators with illicit sales of performance-enhancing drugs.
Those charges have been dismissed twice by Albany County Judge Stephen Herrick — most recently citing a conflict of interest with Soares because of the pending federal civil suit — and neighboring district attorneys declined to take the case. Herrick has appointed a private attorney as special prosecutor to again consider charges.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell in Orlando ruled in June that he doesn't know if Signature violated any New York law or even if the arrest warrants from New York were valid since they were based on the first in a series of indictments that was no longer in effect during the Feb. 27, 2007, raid and arrests.
Soares and his deputy, Christopher Baynes, who is also being sued, have appealed the federal judge's decision to permit the civil suit. An appeals ruling could take months.
In the civil suit claiming false arrest and defamation, Presnell refused to grant the prosecutors immunity that would normally apply when doing their jobs.
"They were a thousand miles from their jurisdiction and were participating in — indeed, Soares was purportedly 'commanding' — a law enforcement raid on Signature's premises," Presnell wrote, saying the prosecutors' focus appeared to be getting press attention. "Even assuming that they had some authority to execute or participate in the execution of Florida search warrants, Soares and Baynes had no judicial business in Florida."
Soares in 2008 said authorities had been able "to disrupt a multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise trafficking illegal steroids to thousands of people across the country." He said the focus was distributors, not clients, and declined to publicly confirm the names of prominent athletes believed to be clients.
More recently, Soares' office has repeatedly declined to comment on the case, except a brief statement that Herrick's decision last month to throw out the latest indictment and bar Soares from the prosecution "undermines the criminal justice system."
Albany prosecutors met with representatives from the Mitchell Commission investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball in 2007. Soares said they also worked for months with National Football League officials.
In June, Presnell ordered the return of Signature's records and inventory, saying prosecutors overstepped their bounds in taking everything.
Attorney Amy Tingley said the drugs had expired and while Signature did remain open after the raid, it never recovered. It formally closed its pharmacy operations in late 2008. Her clients were arrested publicly, spent a week in jail and were flown to Albany before posting bail. Three have gone to work for another pharmacy, and two are not working, she said.
A business evaluation filed last year in federal court estimated damages for the pharmacy's lost value at $27.2 million and lost profits at $48.5 million.
"These individuals, like Judge Presnell said, they have not been convicted of anything," Tingley said. "They stand here today, as they had on day one, proclaiming their innocence."
Within two years of the raid, 17 other people pleaded guilty to drug and conspiracy counts in Albany, including operators and employees of several distributors that did business with Signature, as well as four doctors or former doctors who wrote prescriptions.
Soares maintained it was illegal in New York for a doctor to prescribe drugs without examining the patient in person and illegal for a pharmacy to dispense drugs without a valid prescription.
Albany County District Attorney P. David Soares made headlines when he accompanied federal and state agents in a raid at Signature Pharmacy in Orlando and charged its operators with illicit sales of performance-enhancing drugs.
Those charges have been dismissed twice by Albany County Judge Stephen Herrick — most recently citing a conflict of interest with Soares because of the pending federal civil suit — and neighboring district attorneys declined to take the case. Herrick has appointed a private attorney as special prosecutor to again consider charges.
U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell in Orlando ruled in June that he doesn't know if Signature violated any New York law or even if the arrest warrants from New York were valid since they were based on the first in a series of indictments that was no longer in effect during the Feb. 27, 2007, raid and arrests.
Soares and his deputy, Christopher Baynes, who is also being sued, have appealed the federal judge's decision to permit the civil suit. An appeals ruling could take months.
In the civil suit claiming false arrest and defamation, Presnell refused to grant the prosecutors immunity that would normally apply when doing their jobs.
"They were a thousand miles from their jurisdiction and were participating in — indeed, Soares was purportedly 'commanding' — a law enforcement raid on Signature's premises," Presnell wrote, saying the prosecutors' focus appeared to be getting press attention. "Even assuming that they had some authority to execute or participate in the execution of Florida search warrants, Soares and Baynes had no judicial business in Florida."
Soares in 2008 said authorities had been able "to disrupt a multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise trafficking illegal steroids to thousands of people across the country." He said the focus was distributors, not clients, and declined to publicly confirm the names of prominent athletes believed to be clients.
More recently, Soares' office has repeatedly declined to comment on the case, except a brief statement that Herrick's decision last month to throw out the latest indictment and bar Soares from the prosecution "undermines the criminal justice system."
Albany prosecutors met with representatives from the Mitchell Commission investigating the use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball in 2007. Soares said they also worked for months with National Football League officials.
In June, Presnell ordered the return of Signature's records and inventory, saying prosecutors overstepped their bounds in taking everything.
Attorney Amy Tingley said the drugs had expired and while Signature did remain open after the raid, it never recovered. It formally closed its pharmacy operations in late 2008. Her clients were arrested publicly, spent a week in jail and were flown to Albany before posting bail. Three have gone to work for another pharmacy, and two are not working, she said.
A business evaluation filed last year in federal court estimated damages for the pharmacy's lost value at $27.2 million and lost profits at $48.5 million.
"These individuals, like Judge Presnell said, they have not been convicted of anything," Tingley said. "They stand here today, as they had on day one, proclaiming their innocence."
Within two years of the raid, 17 other people pleaded guilty to drug and conspiracy counts in Albany, including operators and employees of several distributors that did business with Signature, as well as four doctors or former doctors who wrote prescriptions.
Soares maintained it was illegal in New York for a doctor to prescribe drugs without examining the patient in person and illegal for a pharmacy to dispense drugs without a valid prescription.
British internet pharmacy owner gets nine months suspended sentence.
An East London man was today sentenced to a total of nine months imprisonment suspended for 12 months for conspiracy, money laundering and numerous medicines offences.
Aziz Bharmal of Tower Hamlets pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import prescription only medicines as well as unlicensed generic drugs. He also pleaded guilty to importing a controlled Class C drug, Diazepam.
Other charges to which he entered a guilty plea included possession with intent to supply prescription only medicines, controlled Class C drugs and the unlicensed erectile dysfunction drug, Kamagra.
There was also one count of money laundering to which he pleaded guilty having laundered approximately £76,000 through his own bank account between 2007 and 2008.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were notified of a website AngloPharmacy which was offering for sale a variety of unlicensed pharmacy and prescription only medicines.
The MHRA visited Bharmal’s residential address and seized huge quantities of the generic unlicensed erectile dysfunction drug, Kamagra, as well as prescription only medicines (POMs) such as apomorphine, zolpidem and fluoxetine.
Investigators also seized 24,640 tablets of a Class C controlled drug Diazepam.
MHRA Head of Operations Danny Lee-Frost said, “Mr Bharmal is neither a doctor nor a pharmacist in the UK and he is therefore supplying these medicines in breach of the Medicines Act.
“He is a criminal out to make a profit at the expense of vulnerable and ill people.”
Aziz Bharmal of Tower Hamlets pleaded guilty to conspiracy to import prescription only medicines as well as unlicensed generic drugs. He also pleaded guilty to importing a controlled Class C drug, Diazepam.
Other charges to which he entered a guilty plea included possession with intent to supply prescription only medicines, controlled Class C drugs and the unlicensed erectile dysfunction drug, Kamagra.
There was also one count of money laundering to which he pleaded guilty having laundered approximately £76,000 through his own bank account between 2007 and 2008.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) were notified of a website AngloPharmacy which was offering for sale a variety of unlicensed pharmacy and prescription only medicines.
The MHRA visited Bharmal’s residential address and seized huge quantities of the generic unlicensed erectile dysfunction drug, Kamagra, as well as prescription only medicines (POMs) such as apomorphine, zolpidem and fluoxetine.
Investigators also seized 24,640 tablets of a Class C controlled drug Diazepam.
MHRA Head of Operations Danny Lee-Frost said, “Mr Bharmal is neither a doctor nor a pharmacist in the UK and he is therefore supplying these medicines in breach of the Medicines Act.
“He is a criminal out to make a profit at the expense of vulnerable and ill people.”
Botswanan athlete stabs girlfriend in Australia blames steroids and gets just 200 hours community service ?
Roid rage was the trigger for a violent attack in which a University of Wollongong student repeatedly stabbed his fiancee with scissors, a court has heard.
Marshall Kuda Mahube used anabolic steroids heavily in the months leading up to the August 23 attack, despite knowing the potential risks involved, Wollongong Local Court heard yesterday.
Realising he was becoming "testy" and "excitable", the 23-year-old had stopped using the drug in early August but was still suffering the effects some three weeks later when he lashed out at his fiancee after he had a bad day.
During the violent outburst, Mahube hit his fiancee in the face and then stabbed her multiple times with scissors in the back and legs while the pair argued at his Keiraville flat.
Tensions between the pair had boiled over after the girl phoned him several times at the University of Wollongong to check on him, as he had been unfaithful in the past.
During the unprovoked attack Mahube allegedly called the girl a "fat bitch", then stabbed her twice in the back and four times in the legs with scissors, the court was told previously.
She grabbed a pillow to protect herself and escaped to a friend's house before she was taken to Wollongong Hospital where she underwent surgery on her shoulder.
Yesterday the court heard the 23-year-old has always been a keen athlete, successfully representing his home country of Botswana in the African Games before travelling to Australia to study.
However, the student revealed to the court his passion for being fit and strong took on a new meaning after he arrived in Australia, and he is now paying the price, having lost his relationship and suffered problems with his reproductive organs as a result of his drug use.
In a letter tendered to court, Mahube, who no longer lives in the region, apologised for his behaviour and the damage it had caused to his victim. He was supported in court by his parents, who had travelled from Botswana for the court case.
Sentencing Mahube, Magistrate Chris McRobert acknowledged he had no history of violence and was otherwise well respected by his peers.
However, Mr McRobert said it was troubling Mahube took the drugs, knowing how potentially harmful they could be. He subsequently ordered the student to perform 200 hours community service for his crime.
Outraged at the finding, Mahube's former fiancee screamed at him as she left the room. "I'll be scarred for life because of what you've done ... I hope you rot in hell," she said.
Marshall Kuda Mahube used anabolic steroids heavily in the months leading up to the August 23 attack, despite knowing the potential risks involved, Wollongong Local Court heard yesterday.
Realising he was becoming "testy" and "excitable", the 23-year-old had stopped using the drug in early August but was still suffering the effects some three weeks later when he lashed out at his fiancee after he had a bad day.
During the violent outburst, Mahube hit his fiancee in the face and then stabbed her multiple times with scissors in the back and legs while the pair argued at his Keiraville flat.
Tensions between the pair had boiled over after the girl phoned him several times at the University of Wollongong to check on him, as he had been unfaithful in the past.
During the unprovoked attack Mahube allegedly called the girl a "fat bitch", then stabbed her twice in the back and four times in the legs with scissors, the court was told previously.
She grabbed a pillow to protect herself and escaped to a friend's house before she was taken to Wollongong Hospital where she underwent surgery on her shoulder.
Yesterday the court heard the 23-year-old has always been a keen athlete, successfully representing his home country of Botswana in the African Games before travelling to Australia to study.
However, the student revealed to the court his passion for being fit and strong took on a new meaning after he arrived in Australia, and he is now paying the price, having lost his relationship and suffered problems with his reproductive organs as a result of his drug use.
In a letter tendered to court, Mahube, who no longer lives in the region, apologised for his behaviour and the damage it had caused to his victim. He was supported in court by his parents, who had travelled from Botswana for the court case.
Sentencing Mahube, Magistrate Chris McRobert acknowledged he had no history of violence and was otherwise well respected by his peers.
However, Mr McRobert said it was troubling Mahube took the drugs, knowing how potentially harmful they could be. He subsequently ordered the student to perform 200 hours community service for his crime.
Outraged at the finding, Mahube's former fiancee screamed at him as she left the room. "I'll be scarred for life because of what you've done ... I hope you rot in hell," she said.
Stem cell doping the next big thing ?
A happy accident may hold the key to healing muscle diseases and granting humans incredible physiques. Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Washington discovered that stem cells injected into mouse muscles led to increased growth for the rest of the mouse’s life. Young mice with injured legs were given donor muscle stem cells from other young mice. Those injuries not only healed, but muscle mass increased 50% and muscle volume increased by an incredible 170%!
Performance tests show the muscles were twice as strong as normal, and still above average when you control for size. Two years later, about the lifetime of a mouse, the legs were still bigger and stronger than normal, much to the scientists surprise. The study was recently reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. I had a chance to speak with Bradley Olwin at UC Boulder to discuss his work and the possible applications in the future. He thinks that the muscle growth effect, if it could be reproduced in humans, may be a means to treat degenerative illnesses like Muscular Dystrophy. I think that this is another step towards super powered humans.
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