Siberian gets five years for smuggling steroids from Thailand.

A court in Irkutsk in eastern Siberia has sentenced wrestler Igor Cherkesov in absentia to five years in prison for bring prohibited medicine from Thailand, the regional department of the Federal Drug Control Service reported on Tuesday. The service has established that Cherkesov, who holds a mastery certificate in Greco-Roman wrestling, purchased steroids and testosterone drugs at drugstores in Thailand for personal use and also for other athletes. He was detained at Irkutsk Airport for bringing in prohibited medicine in February 2010 and remained in custody until September when he was released on pledge not to leave Irkutsk. However, "Cherkesov fled in June 2012 and has been placed on the federal wanted list," the Federal Drug Control Service's department said. Cherkesov's case was heard in absentia and the court sentenced him to five years in a low-security prison camp. The athlete has two small children and a civil wife in Thailand.

Massive steroids bust in Spain.

Spanish police have busted two gangs that allegedly imported and trafficked doping substances used in sports, arresting 84 people, the Interior Ministry said Sunday. More than 700,000 doses of anabolic steroids, the blood-booster EPO and growth hormones were seized during raids in Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia, Andalusia and the Basque region, the ministry said in a statement. Among those arrested was a pharmacist who dodged legal controls to distribute the drugs without the use of medical prescriptions. During the first quarter of 2013 the gangs introduced into Spain some 750 kilograms (1654 pounds) of drugs from China, Greece and Portugal, and marketed them in sports centers and homes, the statement said. One of the gangs was earning 11,000 euros ($14,434) a day through the illegal sale of these drugs, the statement said. It was not immediately clear when the arrests were made.

60 (?) year old personal trainer gets controlled delivery of Chinese steroids.

A Port Reading man was arrested today for conspiring to distribute more than 89,000 units of anabolic steroids in pill and liquid form, according to U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman. Special agents with the Department of Homeland Security arrested Richard Gray, 60, who works as a personal trainer. Gray was arrested as he attempted to pick up a package containing steroids, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. According to the Complaint: On April 23, agents of Customs and Border Protection conducted a routine border inspection of a package that was shipped from China to a package consignment store in Edison. The package was addressed to Custom Parts, in care of the consignment store. When customs inspected the package, agents found approximately 110 ampules that were individually labeled as different types of anabolic steroids, including “Mastabol, Dromastanolone Enanthate,” “Testosterone,” “Boldenone Undecylenate,” “Nandrolone Decanoate,” and “Testosterone Enanthate.” Store employees identified Gray as the person who was supposed to pick up the package and told investigators the store was holding another package for Gray, which was nearly identical to the first package and had been sent by the same shipper. Gray was arrested when he arrived at the store to pick up the second package. Gray then consented to have his home searched. Investigators found in the storage room in Gray’s basement a substantial amount of anabolic steroids, which were in both liquid and pill form. Some of the steroids were meticulously labeled and organized in boxes and individual trays, which were then placed on metal shelves. Others were stored in large, gallon-sized plastic bags. Gray is scheduled to make a first appearance in court later today.

Couple charged for domestic distribution of Chinese steroids.

More than $1.8 million worth of steroids and other pharmaceuticals were seized and a Rensselaer couple was arrested in the largest steroids case in county history, Rensselaer County law enforcement officials said Monday. A six-month investigation led to the March 1 arrest of Zachery Wilkins, 33, and Holly Fiato, 28, of 111 Washington Ave., Sheriff Jack Mahar said Monday. Wilkins and Fiato were released without bail on a charge of felony criminal possession of a controlled substance. The felony carries a sentence of up to seven years in state prison. District Attorney Richard McNally said the couple is cooperating with investigators. As middlemen for the steroids distribution, Wilkins and Fiato would receive the steroid doses and pills in the mail and forward them to another address as directed, McNally said. Based on information provided to investigators, the couple were provided with fake identification, including a Florida driver's license, and used post office boxes and local UPS drop-offs for moving the drugs, McNally said. It appears the drug distribution has links to China, he said. Police seized 44,825 liquid doses of steroids and 289,550 pharmaceutical pills, according to the sheriff's office. Police also confiscated two shotguns and packaging materials. The multi-agency investigation involved the sheriff's and district attorney's offices, the Rensselaer Police Department, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security.

Russian weightlifters busted in Moscow with 2 tonnes of steroids.

Authorities in Perm, Russia, have arrested two male Russian weightlifters accused of smuggling and trafficking steroids from Belarus, the region`s narcotics bureau said. One of the weightlifters, authorities said on Tuesday, is a "master of sports, international class", a governmental honour given to Russian athletics who win international championships. His younger accomplice has prior steroid smuggling convictions, according to authorities. When they were arrested, the weightlifters were in possession of a combined 2,000 kg of anabolic steroids, authorities said. The men had allegedly been selling steroids in Perm for the past year, distributing them among "a narrow range of clients". Authorities said the names of the weightlifters would not be released until official charges were laid. The arrests come a day after Russia`s deputy sports minister Yuri Nagornykh told the "Sports Without Doping" conference in Moscow that positive doping tests for Russian athletes is on the decline. He did not offer any statistics to support his claim. Russia`s poor doping record has long been a stain on the country`s sporting establishments, and the issue has come to the fore with Moscow set to host the World Athletics Championships this summer and the Winter Olympics in 2014. There are currently 37 Russians on the International Association of Athletics Federations` list of sanctioned athletes in violation of anti-doping rules.

Canadian UG lab discovered during fire.

A local man has been arrested after a steroid lab was discovered in his home after RCMP responded to a structure fire in Timberlea, Sunday. RCMP arrived on scene to assist with the call around 6:45 p.m. While the initial fire report turned out to be mainly smoke, further investigation revealed hazardous materials on the property, which was then cordoned off. Further investigations conducted by the Wood Buffalo RCMP Clandestine Lab Team and the K Division Clandestine Lab Team confirmed that a portion of the property was being used as a lab. RCMP say the controlled substance produced likely falls under the steroids category. As a result, James Rae, 31, has been arrested and charged with several offences, including production of a controlled substance and possession for the purpose of trafficking, and has been remanded into custody. While the public is in no imminent danger, the property will continue to be cordoned off to allow for proper cleanup of the hazardous materials.

Domestic sources get heavy sentences.

A Manchester man was sentenced to more than seven years in prison and his co-defendant was sentenced to more than 10 years on Tuesday for a conspiracy to distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of steroids and other controlled substances from other states. Both Steven C. Campbell, 41, of Manchester, and John Thomas Bailey, 39, pleaded guilty in September to charges of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute anabolic steroids and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Their plea agreements were sealed, but the original indictment accuses both men of buying steroids, human growth hormone and other controlled substances from other states and countries, including Mexico, China, and Russia. The men used Western Union and MoneyGram to wire the money, and Campbell used a series of names in the transactions, the indictment says. Campbell admitted that the conspiracy involved between one and 2.5 kilos of anabolic steroids and just over $400,000 was laundered, court documents say. Campbell’s use of steroids began with his own belief that he was “not big enough,” then expanded to sales to others, a memo filed on his behalf says. In court, he apologized, asked for mercy and volunteered to be an example of a “story of redemption.” U.S. District Judge Carol Jackson sentenced him to seven years and eight months in prison. Two U.S. Marshals had to use two sets of handcuffs to get Campbell's hands cuffed behind him. Bailey told Jackson that he was only helping out Campbell — that he never received any money or even received free steroids. He later admitted that he had sold some to friends in the gym. Jackson sentenced him to 10 years and five months in prison. Both men received longer sentences due to previous criminal convictions. They were also ordered to forfeit $6,482 in cash, a 2008 Chrysler 300 and a 2008 BMW 535. Jackson ordered a judgment against Campbell for $400,455. Bailey will owe roughly $30,000.

Australian busted for US peptides and Chinese steroid powders.

A 22 year old Homebush man has been fined $15,000 after pleading guilty to importing and possessing performance and image enhancing drugs. On 8 June 2011, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Sydney International Mail Facility examined a package addressed to the man from the United States. The package, which was declared as amino acid samples, contained four vials labelled GHRP6, an amino acid peptide that makes a human body begin secreting growth hormone. It is illegal to import GHRP6 without a permit. On 11 and 13 September 2011, Customs and Border Protection officers in Sydney examined two air cargo packages which had arrived from China also addressed to the man. Each of the packages contained 100 grams of white powder which testing revealed to be testosterone. It is illegal to import testosterone without a permit. Customs and Border Protection officers subsequently executed search and seizure warrants at the man’s residence in Homebush and found a quantity of anabolic and androgenic substances. The man was convicted in the Downing Centre Local Court for importing and possessing prohibited imports, namely anabolic and androgenic substances and for making a false statement to Customs and Border Protection officers. He was fined $15,000 and ordered to pay court costs of $332. Customs and Border Protection Director Investigations NSW Tony McSweeney said although these substances were often cheap and easy to purchase overseas, it is illegal to bring them into Australia without a permit. “While importers may find it cheap to buy these products overseas, they will not be so impressed with the fines they receive when they attempt to bring the products into Australia without a permit,” Mr McSweeney said.

Domestic UG steroids lab busted.

Investigators may have put a halt to an underground steroid manufacturing and distribution operation after searching two beach homes.

Two search warrants led Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators to 8206 Beach Drive and a residence in Lake Towne Wharf, where they found packaged homemade steroids and product manufacturing equipment, a news release said.

The bust came after the office obtained information about a possible steroid lab at the residences.
According to the release, several suspects apparently had been injecting the product and experienced rapid muscle increase and unusual health problems.

The product, believed to have been made and sold as a strong steroid, was sold directly and online, and purchased at $13 to $70 per bottle, the release said.

The case is currently under investigation; arrests and charges are expected, the release said.

Trailer park resident busted with Rogue Labs steroids.

Around 6 a.m. Wednesday morning, Wareham detectives, with the assistance of State Police STOP team, executed a search warrant at 10 Alfred Street in Wareham. According to a Wareham police release, there were three people in the mobile home at the time of the raid. The unit was secured without incident and the owner, 31-year-old Joseph Guarneri, was placed under arrest. Police confiscated several vials containing liquid steroids and several baggies containing steroids in pill form. One suboxone tablet was also seized. Guarneri was transported to the Wareham Police Station where he was processed and charged with possession of a Class E substance (steroids) and possession of Class B substance--subsequent offense (suboxone). He was arraigned in Wareham Fourth District Court Wednesday afternoon.

GNC employee busted after selling steroids to cops.at donut shop.

Walpole police say they arrested a Walpole Mall GNC worker last week for selling anabolic steroids. George Touma, 21, of 32 Heaton Ave. in Norwood, was arrested by Walpole police on Oct. 24 on two charges of possession of Class E substance. Walpole Deputy Police Chief John Carmichael said his department received an anonymous tip that a clerk GNC – a health store in the Walpole Mall – was selling illegal steroids. Police identified a target and began a month long investigation, he said. After an undercover officer became friendly with Touma, Carmichael said the officer set up a time to buy steroids from the clerk at the Rte. 1 Dunkin Donuts on the Norwood/Walpole border. The officer allegedly purchased two bottles of anabolic steroids from Touma for $150 each. Carmichael said police arrested Touma at the Dunkin Donuts immediately after the sale.

Tennessee UG steroids lab busted.

A Millington man was arrested Tuesday and charged with producing and selling anabolic steroids. Investigators searched the man's Millington home and a Bartlett storage facility he rented after purchasing steroids from him in March, according to a court affidavit. They reported finding more than 400 vials of anabolic steroids, 13 large bags of steroid pills and 78 individual steroid pills, and packaging and manufacturing equipment. The man later confessed to producing and selling the drug, according to the affidavit. William Lucas, 29, was charged with unlawful possession of steroids with intent to manufacture, deliver or sell. His bond was set at $25,000.

Major EU steroid source busted.

Czech police say they have broken up a criminal group that is suspected of selling anabolic steroids in European countries. Police spokeswoman Barbora Kudlackova says eight Czech nationals have been arrested in the Czech Republic and an unspecified number of other suspects are being investigated in neighboring Germany. Kudlackova said in a statement Friday that police believe the group acquired the drugs on the black market in Thailand, smuggled them to Europe and distributed them in the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, Cyprus and Ukraine. Suspects face up to 12 years in prison if convicted of trafficking. Police said the investigation has not been completed yet and offered no further details. Anabolic steroids are widely misused for doping in sports and bodybuilding.

Postal inspectors bust domestic online steroids source.

“There were Tupperware containers all over the place packed full of pills. There were so many, postal inspectors took them to a warehouse in Charlotte to count. I’ve never seen so many pills,” Sheriff’s Drug Detective Aaron Herring said as he described a home along Mill Branch Church Road in Tabor City. Herring said James Douglas Corbett, 44, and Corbett’s wife, Stacy Hardwick Corbett, 41, have been arrested on one count each of possession of anabolic steroids with intent to sell. Authorities seized 43,536 steroid pills, 923 10mm vials in injectable steroids, plus 80 more vials in a UPS package. Herring said he expected U.S. Postal inspectors to bring more charges against the Corbetts who were participating in a program of shipping controlled medication to people who ordered them from an Internet site. Mailed anywhere The pills were shipped in 12 to 20 packages a day, and were mailed from post offices in Tabor City, Clarendon, Shallotte, Leland and Wilmington, plus others. Herring said 350 packages were mailed by the Corbetts during the three months of July through September, according to postal records. “The Corbetts were mailing the packages of steroid pills and testosterone to customers with bogus names, but real addresses,” Herring explained. He said the man and wife never met the person who started them in the business in 2009, and who paid them for their shipping service. Return addresses The pills arrived from China, Great Britain and Canada to addresses in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Wilmington where the Corbetts would receive the packages. Return addresses on the packages would consist of a bogus name of a person or fake business, but to a correct address somewhere in Columbus County. The packages were not to be returned to the Corbett’s home. Herring said he received a tip about the pill service from a person who received a package that couldn’t be delivered and was returned to the innocent person’s home. Herring said some of the medication shipped consisted of injectable steroids, but 95 percent of the business appeared to be handled in pill form. James Corbett’s occupation on the local arrest report showed him as “unemployed.” His wife is a phlebotomist at Southeastern General Hospital in Lumberton, according to Herring.

Canadian customs makes major steroids bust.

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced today the seizure of more than $250,000 worth of steroids in Halifax, NS. CBSA Criminal Investigations Division charged a Halifax resident, Greg Doucette, with possessing, smuggling, importing, trafficking and distributing steroids under the Customs Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The charges are for offences that occurred between 2010 and 2012. The investigation started after the steroids were intercepted in multiple postal seizures by border services officers at the CBSA Vancouver International Mail center. The packages were all destined for Halifax, NS. CBSA in Halifax searched the individual's residence, vehicle, and a storage locker all of which were located in Halifax resulting in the seizure of $23,000 in cash and an estimated $250,000 in steroids and steroid distribution materials. "Thanks to the excellent work of border services officers and our investigators, thousands of single doses of this kind of illegal and very dangerous drug will not be distributed across the country," said Andrew LeFrank, CBSA Regional Director General, Atlantic Region. "CBSA is committed to protecting our communities and keeping drugs out of our country and off our streets". Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers are vigilant when it comes to ensuring our borders are not used for illegal activities. We continue to be vigilant in our enforcement efforts at the border. The CBSA is committed to preventing inadmissible persons and goods from entering Canada and works closely with local, national and international law enforcement partners to keep illegal drugs and other contraband from entering Canada.

Domestic UG steroid lab owner gets three years.

A Bixby man was sentenced Wednesday to three years and one month in prison after he pleaded guilty to importing testosterone into the United States from China earlier this year. John Isaac Hudelson had pleaded guilty June 1 to two charges contained in an April 2 indictment issued by a federal grand jury in Tulsa. Hudelson, 23, also admitted possessing controlled substances while intending to manufacture anabolic steroids. He stated in his plea agreement that he possessed 1,697 grams of materials, including testosterone in powder form, and 889 milliliters of other substances, including testosterone in liquid form. Assistant U.S. Attorney Janet Reincke told the court in June that on Jan. 3, a package containing about 1 kilogram of testosterone was detected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials in San Francisco. They alerted federal law enforcement officials in Oklahoma on Jan. 9, and three days later, a "controlled delivery" was made to Hudelson's residence, where a search warrant was executed, Reincke said. An investigation revealed that Hudelson was supplying about 15 customers, she said. In a Sept. 19 filing, Assistant Federal Public Defender Stephen Greubel argued that Hudelson's criminal conduct was "the product of a sincere, albeit misguided, desire to improve his physique and the physiques of his friends so that they might be competitive in the world of professional bodybuilding." Reincke said during Wednesday's hearing that, although the illegality of steroids may not be fully appreciated in the world of bodybuilding, "we need to send a message, even if it takes a while to get through." A few other steroids cases have been filed in federal court in Tulsa in recent years, but those defendants typically have received probation, not prison time. U.S. District Judge Claire Eagan ordered Hudelson to be under court supervision for three years after his release from prison, during which time he will be tested for drug use. Hudelson, who also was fined $200, is to begin his prison sentence by Nov. 28.

Ex-cop from Australia alleged to have traded intel info for steroids.

A corrupt Coffs Harbour police officer has been stood down from the force after giving confidential police information to a former NSW champion body builder. The corrupt relationship between disgraced former detective senior constable Anthony Farrell and the Gold Coast World Gym director, Andrew Macleod, was played out via numerous phone taps heard in the District Court last week. Farrell, 40, was working at Coffs Harbour police station when he provided Macleod, 41, with ''very good intell'' in May last year regarding confidential police investigations into steroid distribution. Macleod won the Mr NSW Light-Heavyweight body building title in October 2004. Advertisement On Monday, acting District Court Judge Colin Phegan found the pair guilty of ''making a collusive agreement''. Farrell pleaded guilty while Macleod chose to stand trial. A jury returned a guilty verdict on Macleod on Monday and both will be sentenced on November 8. Farrell was arrested and charged on June 1 last year. The following day Macleod was arrested and charged. According to a statement tendered to the court by the NSW Police Professional Standards Command, the intercepted calls indicated Farrell was using steroids while Macleod was supplying steroids, including to Farrell. Macleod faced no charges for steroids possession or distribution. Police said in court: ''It is clear from this lengthy [intercepted] call there is a collusive agreement between Macleod and Farrell whereby Macleod offers to supply Farrell with steroids in return for Farrell's protection.'' Farrell is recorded saying to Macleod: ''Mate, I'll always give you the heads up if I see that you're under notice. 'Cause I get … all the intell reports and stuff.'' Campbell MacCallum, solicitor for Macleod, said he would appeal against the decision. ''What came out in evidence during the trial was that there was nothing to suggest my client possessed or was dealing in steroids,'' he said. The court heard Farrell accessed the police database seven times and ''tipped him off'', ''protected him'' and ''leaked confidential information'' about police investigations, even instructing Macleod to use a land line phone to discuss sensitive matters. ''This being in total conflict to what would be expected from a serving NSW police detective,'' police told the court. A police spokeswoman said Farrell ''has been stood down and is currently suspended without pay''.

Another steroid bust in Omaha.

A 40-year-old Omaha man arrested this week in an investigation of illegal steroids is not believed to be connected to another case in which four people have been charged. Anthony Acome was taken into custody Tuesday by federal agents and members of the Douglas County sheriff's office and Papillion and La Vista police departments who had been investigating him for months. He faces two counts of intent to deliver a controlled substance and a weapons count in Douglas County Court. An attorney for Acome did not return a phone message to The Associated Press for comment Friday. Authorities said officers found 200 vials of illegal steroids, $15,000 in cash and 27 loaded guns at Acome's house. Douglas County Chief Deputy Marty Bilek told Omaha television station KMTV that Acome bought ingredients to make the steroids on the Internet. Omaha police spokesman James Shade said Friday that Acome's case is separate from another in which four people have been charged with possession of illegal steroids with intent to deliver in a ring with ties to China and New York. Omaha residents Christopher Bowers, 45, and Bernard Venditte, 31, and Papillion residents Ryan Bowers, 29, and Jeanine Rowe, 35, were part of an investigation that started in April, according to the Omaha World-Herald. Stu Dornan, attorney for Rowe, told the AP that Rowe has pleaded not guilty, but he would comment further Friday. Attorneys for the other three did not immediately return phones messages to the AP. Omaha Police Sgt. Dave Bianchi told the Omaha World-Herald the four received thousands of vials of illegal steroids during a months-long investigation and that their job was to repackage and mail the vials to online buyers. Raw hormones from China were mailed to the drug operation's leader in New York, Bianchi said. The sergeant said the ringleader turned it into an injectable solution and then bottled, labeled and shipped the toxic product to the Omaha and Papillion home addresses of those arrested. The anabolic steroids had labels from a fake laboratory, Omaha narcotics Detective Greg Hamill said. The doses were up to 100 times higher than those used to treat medical conditions and were "ridiculously toxic," Hamill said. Steroid use can damage the liver and may cause other serious long-term health consequences in men, women and children.

Domestic UG lab selling online busted in Omaha, Nebraska.

Performance enhancers. You hear the term in reference to professional baseball players, Olympians and most recently, celebrated cyclist Lance Armstrong — but you don't expect one of your neighbors to be dealing in illegal steroids. Omaha police discovered in April that four local residents were players in a steroid ring with origins in China and a drug kingpin in New York. Local narcotics detectives say they stumbled onto the largest steroid bust of their careers, one involving several hundred thousand dollars of the drug. Christopher J. Bowers, 45, of Omaha, Ryan M. Bowers, 29, of Papillion, Bernard Venditte, 31, of Omaha and Jeanine A. Rowe, 35, of Papillion each was charged with possession of illegal steroids with intent to deliver. The four are accused of acting as delivery agents for large shipments of home-cooked testosterone cocktails. Thousands of vials of illegal steroids were shipped into the Omaha area before and during the months-long investigation, said Omaha Police Sgt. Dave Bianchi. Raw hormones from China were mailed to the drug operation's leader in New York. Bianchi said the ringleader turned it into an injectable solution and then bottled, labeled and shipped the toxic product to the Omaha and Papillion home addresses of those arrested. Their job was to repackage and mail the vials to online buyers. The investigation began in April when a U.S. Postal Service inspector noticed something odd about two packages. Two Express Mail packages with consecutive numbers had been mailed from different post offices in New York. Both were addressed to Christopher Bowers' home in Omaha, but the return addresses were for nonexistent businesses in New York, according to court documents. Those were red flags, indicating that drugs likely were in the packages. Police followed the delivery of the packages to Bowers' home in midtown and discovered hundreds of vials of testosterone. These steroid cocktails would never be used as legitimate medical treatments, said Omaha narcotics Detective Greg Hamill. The home-brewed anabolic steroids had labels from a fake laboratory called Lexx Labs and were named Sustanon-300, Nandro-100, Masteron-100 and Deca-300. The doses could be up to 100 times higher than those used to treat medical conditions. Hamill called the mixtures “ridiculously toxic.” “I believe some of the drugs would have stayed in Omaha, but we have nothing to indicate that the steroids were pushed on kids or legitimate athletes,” Bianchi said. Hamill said the majority of steroid users are men looking to quickly bulk up muscle mass. Steroid abuse has been linked to serious health problems, including liver damage, kidney impairment or failure and enlargement of the heart, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Anabolic steroids fall under the same legal classification as the illegal possession of oxycodone or vicodin. When Bowers was questioned, authorities said, he implicated his nephew, Ryan Bowers. The younger man then indicated to police that a friend, Venditte, had approached him with the opportunity to make some money by repackaging steroids sent from New York, court documents state. Police said the supplier likely had used an online message board to approach one of the Omaha-area residents, who had purchased and personally used steroids in the past. More steroids were found in Venditte's west Omaha apartment, and then detectives uncovered Rowe's connection to Venditte and yet more steroids. “This was the largest steroid arrest I've been involved with in 20 years,” Bianchi said. During the investigation, officers confiscated 4,430 vials — each containing 10 doses of illegal anabolic steroids. Also collected were 3,763 grams — or more than eight pounds — of raw hormone materials that originated in China, Bianchi said. Hamill estimated that an $800 investment in raw materials from China plus some basic lab equipment could turn into a $20,000 to $30,000 profit. Ryan and Christopher Bowers, Venditte and Rowe were meant to be paid for each repackaged set of steroids that was sent to an online purchaser, Bianchi said. Once the four local residents were charged, the Omaha police narcotics unit, the federal Drug Enforcement Agency and New York law officers built a case against the ringleader, Nicholas Cangiano, 34. Cangiano was indicted in May in U.S. District Court in Nebraska on two counts: conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, and distribution of steroids. The four local people arrested have been released from jail on bail, and their cases are set for trial in Douglas County District Court. The felony charge against them carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $25,000 fine or both. Christopher Bowers, a veteran air traffic controller at Eppley Airfield, had never been charged with a crime before in Nebraska or federal court, according to court documents. The Federal Aviation Administration said he has been suspended from his job pending the outcome of the case. Rowe had a similarly clean record. Ryan Bowers and Venditte had not been previously charged with a drug-related crime in Nebraska. The attorney for the Bowers men and Rowe's lawyer declined to comment. Calls to Venditte's attorney were not returned.

Domestic UG lab operator busted after controlled delivery from China.

Perry Mosdromos, a Palo Alto man who was arrested on June 7 for selling $250,000 worth of steroids and prescription medications through his Menlo Park bodybuilding business, was arrested and charged by federal agents for the crimes on Aug. 30. The case was referred from the San Mateo County District Attorney's Office for federal prosecution because Mr. Mosdromos is alleged to have sold and shipped the illegal drugs throughout the country and internationally. His alleged activities were first discovered on April 23, after Department of Homeland Security Investigations intercepted a package containing steroids at a United Parcel Service store. The drugs from China were addressed to his postal box at the UPS store located at 325 Sharon Park Drive in Menlo Park. A second shipment containing thousands of Xanax pills from the United Kingdom was intercepted on May 18, according to the criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for Northern California. Mr. Mosdromos' Loma Verde Avenue residence and his business, One 2 One Fitness in Menlo Park, were searched by the Menlo Park Police Department and Homeland Security, assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in June. Law enforcement found gallons of steroids, a conversion lab to turn pills into liquid, thousands of prescription pills MDMA (Ecstasy) and other controlled substances, along with shipping labels addressed to locations across the United States and to many overseas countries. He was arrested and posted bail. He initially denied owning the illegal substances, but he later admitted he had been selling prescription medications and manufacturing anabolic steroids, according to the complaint. Mr. Mosdromos told police that he trafficked the drugs to make extra money so that he could help pay for his mother's medical expenses. A $3,000 investment of raw product could be turned into $30,000, he allegedly said. "He said the operation is much bigger than he, but he did not disclose any co-conspirators or elaborate on how the operation works," according to the complaint. He denied the Xanax shipment was destined for him, an investigator wrote. According to the federal complaint, an FBI officer had intercepted an incoming text message on Mr. Mosdromos' cell phone from someone wanting to purchase anabolic steroids. The buyer came to Mr. Mosdromos' residence to purchase the steroids and admitted to officers that he had previously purchased 500 tablets of the steroid Anavar for $150 and previously purchased injectable testosterone from Mr. Mosdromos. Mr. Mosdromos waived his Miranda rights on June 7 and told investigators that his fiancee and employees did not know that he traffics and manufactures controlled substances. He told his fiancee the shipments were supplements, according to the report. He allegedly told investigators that the prescription medications found in his apartment were shipped from countries including China, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India and Mexico. He shipped the medications to various people after receiving instructions from buyers. Mr. Mosdromos was booked into San Mateo County Jail in June and posted $25,000 bail, but on Friday, Aug. 31, in the San Francisco federal court he was again taken into custody, according to court documents. He faces charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. If convicted, he could receive maximum penalties of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice did not return a phone call inquiring about Mr. Mosdromos' bail or if he has been released.