Steroid Nation

Boston police involved in steroid scandal

Police everywhere appear to abusing steroids.  New York, Florida, Texas, Phoenix, Cleveland to name a few municipalities.  Now Boston police are involved in a steroid, drugs, and hooker scandal.

Police officers, like everyone else, sometimes behave badly. Eight officers were suspended after a three-year investigation into steroid use by the BPD, FBI and the U.S Attorney. Four other cops were suspended for visiting the "Boom Boom Room", a Hyde Park brothel. The steroid-related suspensions range from 5-80 days. The Herald said Commissioner Ed Davis confirmed a grand jury is investigating the "Boom Boom Room". Extensive details on both matters are available at BPDNews.com. [Boston Herald]

The Boston Herald carries more info:

The stepbrother of murder victim Imette St. Guillen is among seven decorated officers suspended without pay for admitting they previously abused steroids as far back as 2001, Boston Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis somberly announced yesterday.

“There’s an emerging trend in law enforcement regarding the use of steroids,” Davis said in culmination of a three-year internal probe. “Unfortunately, we were on the leading edge of this. Luckily, it’s not very widespread.”

Oregon police chief felled by steroids investigation

Over the years we discussed steroid use among our nation's police forces, which presents a problem if anabolic steroids increase behavioral aggressiveness.  Now a police chief in Oregon falls when he fails to aggressively pursue an investigation into his force using illegal anabolic steroids.

To Oregon Live:

The Canby police chief has resigned while facing possible termination resulting from FBI and city investigations into whether he concealed or failed to investigate an officer's steroid abuse.

Greg Kroeplin had been chief of the suburban Portland farming community since January 2006.

The Oregonian reported the 48-year-old Kroeplin had been on paid leave since Nov. 17, a day after the Portland newspaper ran a story with details of the allegations.

The FBI alleged Kroeplin failed to address numerous complaints about former Officer Jason Deason's steroid abuse, enabling Deason to buy steroids on the job and in uniform without any serious investigation.

California doctor and Cleveland cop busted for steroids: Ramon Scruggs -- Troy Glaus's and Scott Schoenewies's PED source -- in the news again

The doctor implicated in prescribing steroids and HGH to major league baseball player Troy Glaus and Scott Schoeneweis finds himself in the news.  Dr. Ramon Scruggs of Santa Ana, California was busted along with a veteran Cleveland, Ohio, cop. Scruggs was named in the Mitchell Report as the doc with the magic prescription pad.   To the Cleveland Plain-Dealer:

CLEVELAND -- A Cleveland police officer and California doctor face drug and theft charges for submitting bogus claims to an insurance company for steroids.

Lt. Anthony Tuleta, a 27-year officer, and Dr. Ramos Scruggs of Santa Ana, Calif. were indicted Monday by a Cuyahoga County grand jury after Medical Mutual notified police about excessive amounts of steroids being prescribed, prosecutors said.

Two others were also charged.

Tuleta was suspended without pay, police said.

As we recall, Glaus and Schoeneweis suffered severe penalties nothing at all for the drug-cheating in MLB.  Meanwhile the Feds announced that Scruggs was under scrutiny, and it looks like the scrutiny led to some problems for the M.D..

The MLB player's involvement was extensive, involving New Hope Health Center in AZ, and Signature Pharmacy in Fl.  Apparently no big deal since the Mitchell Report, and since April 2008 when the Fed probe was uncovered.

It might be interesting if the US wants the 2016 Olympics in Chicago, as Congress would need to enact serious anti-doping legislation that would penalize athletes who use dope to cheat in sports.  Glaus and Shoeneweis would be in trouble, along with Scruggs, if that were to happen.

More steroid users in Phoenix police department or Arizona Cardinals football team?

Although not quite fair because of a bloated roster, the Pheonix police department appears to produce more positive steroid tests than the local NFL team, the Arizona Cardinals.  Then again, the Phoenix police may have a better win-loss record too. To KVOA:

Phoenix police, Steorids Six Phoenix area police officers have tested positive for anabolic steroids in the past two years.

Phoenix started testing police officers and fire fighters for steroids two years ago and these numbers have just been released.

3,600 people have been tested in that time period with six testing positive.

The policy was developed after the departments became concerned about the illegal drug. Phoenix was the first major city to randomly test for anabolic steroids.

We found former Cardinals running back Obafemi Ayanbadejo as the only Cardinal juicer in that period.  Looks like the Phoenix police win.

Obafemi Ayanbadejo went through a list of ingredients when he shopped for supplements last January and found nothing objectionable. An NFL drug test later that month proved otherwise.

"A failed drug test is a bigger black eye than a DUI," says Ayanbadejo, a fullback and special teams player who tested positive for a form of the steroid nandrolone and received a four-game suspension. "In my case, people ran away from me saying, 'He failed a test for performance-enhancing drugs. He's cheating. He's really trying to get an advantage on the field.' "

Ayanbadejo, released by the Arizona Cardinals soon after the failed tests and still searching for a club after a stint with the Chicago Bears, isn't the first athlete to say a positive drug test could be traced to a contaminated supplement.

Perplexing politics in Plano: Bodybuilders given sentences for steroid use in the David Jacobs case, however police still on the beat

Pegasus News carries an interesting opinion piece on Texas justice in Plano.  As everyone recalls, local steroids dealer to the NFL, David Jacobs lived and died in Plano, after a steroid-infused late life.  Jacobs dealt the juice to at least on NFL player -- former Saint, Cowboys, and Falcons lineman Matt Lehr.  Jacobs also appears to have distributed 'roids to bodybuilders, and to local policemen.  Interestingly though, Jacobs and bodybuilder girlfriend Amanda Savell died under suspicious circumstances last summer (as noted below).

With disgraced sprinter Marion Jones heading home to Austin this week from a federal prison and the feds prosecuting amateur bodybuilders in Plano for steroid use, I continue to wonder with each new headline when the same level of attention will be focused on steroid use by police officers, particularly in the Plano case?

Steroid dealer David Jacobs and his bodybuilder girlfriend died under suspicious circumstances that police ruled a murder-suicide soon after he accused police officers from five Metroplex departments of being his customers. (Today's coverage inexplicably doesn't mention the police angle, but see these prior Grits posts and others linked below for background.)

It's a lot more important for public safety to ensure cops aren't using illicit steroids than is policing foot races or body building competitions, but you wouldn't know that by paying attention to state and federal enforcement priorities.

After Jacobs' death, no law enforcement agency disciplined any of his alleged police officer clients; of the five, only Dallas PD implemented steroid testing going forward. Otherwise, the officers Jacobs sold to have never been identified or disciplined, and are likely still on the force using illicit steroids.

In that light, there's a bold hypocrisy to pursuing amateur bodybuilders who were for the most part also merely Jacobs' clients. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. If they're prosecuting bodybuilders who bought steroids from Jacobs, the police officers who purchased from him should be pursued just as aggressively.

Good questions. The news story with the bodybuilders goes like this:

A federal judge sentenced two amateur bodybuilders involved in the Plano steroids trafficking conspiracy to three years probation today and postponed final judgment on the third and final defendant until next month.

Brandon Mark Smith, who lives in the Dallas area, and Jamie Mongeau, of Wichita, Kan., both received three years probation and $2,000 fines for their roles in the steroid network run by David Jacobs.

Mr. Jacobs killed himself and his former girlfriend in early June shortly after the same judge – U.S. District Judge Richard Schell – sentenced him to three years probation.

After he was arrested last year, Mr. Jacobs cooperated both with federal investigators and the National Football League in answering questions about his network – which spanned to China – and his dealings with two ex-Dallas Cowboys.

After meeting before court this morning with Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Williams and defense attorney Kent Schaffer, Judge Schell announced that he was postponing sentencing for the final defendant, Houston bodybuilder and personal trainer Juan Carlos Ballivian, until Oct. 15. No explanation was given.

During their sentencing hearings, both Mr. Smith and Mr. Mongeau told Judge Schell that their time spent on the amateur bodybuilding circuit led to their steroid use.

"I felt like I did what I had to do," Mr. Smith said. "Any person you see on stage in those competitions, even [California] governor [Arnold] Schwarzenegger, you can’t get to that size naturally. There’s not one of those people up there who doesn’t take performance enhancing drugs. I got wrapped up in the sport."

"You need to find something else to do," Judge Schell told him. Mr.  Smith agreed.      

Pheonix connecting dots between anabolic steroid use and suicide

Be careful with any interpretation of this, but a Phoenix medical clinic is under investigation following 3 patient deaths given anabolic steroids. ( KNXV-TV)

All three men have at least two things in common, they were taking steroids and they were getting them at Revolution Medical Centers, a Phoenix-based clinic that's currently under state and federal investigation.
 
"We're looking to see if there is a causal relationship between the death and the treatment or therapy they were being given," said Dr. Craig Runbeck, executive director, Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Board of Medical Examiners.
 
"You're hitting your body with a biochemical sledge hammer and you're pushing things way beyond where they were designed to be," Runbeck said.
 
The autopsy reports make no mention of anabolic steroids, but police reports and medical records do.
 
"Patients die everywhere," said Dr. Jeremy Bula, owner of Revolution Medical Centers. "They didn't die as a result of anabolic steroid use."
 
But one patient left behind a note.  "Stop using steroids. They will destroy your life or anyone with you," the note said.  Moments later, Brian Stubstad committed suicide.

A completed suicide is usually a very complicated multi-factorial act.  No one should point a finger at one particular cause.  However, it is true that anabolic steroids can be mood altering -- this is indisputable.  Is the use of anabolic steroids necessary and sufficient to produce an act of violence?  Probably not in most cases.  Can the use of AASs be contributory.  Absolutely....in a vulnerable person.  (Anabolic steroids are now a major drug of abuse; medical clinics are developing withdraw plans for users)

According to documents obtained by ABC15, he was a patient at Revolution Medical Centers for two years.  His chart indicates he had taken trembolin, a powerful steroid that's not approved for human use.

"Anytime you use a drug that's not approved for human use, there are unknown side effects," Runbeck said.

Was Brian Stubstad speaking from the grave?  According to medical records, he was complaining of depression and mood swings shortly after receiving steroids from Revolution Medical Centers.  In the weeks leading up to his suicide, there were police reports, a pattern of violence, and even an order of protection alleging death threats.

"The story sounds very familiar," said Don Hooton, whose son Taylor began using anabolic steroids five years go.  Six months later, 16-year-old Taylor was dead.  "He was going through severe mood swings," Hooton said. "It went far enough that he went upstairs, took two belts and hung himself."

 

Saturday Evening Steroid Dose: Free Tara Kirk!

1.  New York slice and ditch murderer feasted on "a diet of steroids, cocaine and health food.".  Now that's logical.  The Gothamist

2.  Florida Marlin MILB pitcher Daniel Gil caught with steroids.  The AP

3.  Tara Kirk (above) who finished behind banned swimmer Jessica Hardy, left out in the cold.  That sucks.  Where is the logic?  Kirk should be going to Beijing, end of story.  (WCSN Blog)

4.  The Daily Mail says the IOc and the WADA conducting a blitz campaign against dopers at the Olympics.

5.  Six riders test positive at  the Tour de Columbia...including the top riders there.  (Colombia Report)

Couple minor leagues suspended for juice and other late Friday injections

The IHT says two more minor leagues dropped positive urine tests.

Two more minor league ballplayers were suspended for positive drug tests on Friday.

Cincinnati Reds minor league pitcher Renny Amador and Arizona Diamondbacks minor league shortstop Bernardino Jimenez each received a 50-game ban after testing positive for performance-enhancing steroids. Both players are in the Rookie level Dominican Summer League.

The suspensions, which are effective immediately, brought the number of minor leaguers receiving drug bans to 11 since last Friday, July 25.

Amador has only pitched 2 2-3 innings this season. Jimenez, in 45 games this season, is hitting .164, but with a .320 on-base percentage and five steals in eight attempts.

Five million dollars of drugs including GHB and steroids nabbed in Toronto..of course that is Canadian dollars (Toronto Star).  We are glad the detective below is not so experienced with heroin.

Police found six kilos of the drug, along with 31 kilos of cocaine, five kilos of marijuana, two kilos of crystal meth, four kilos of Ecstasy, a quantity of the date-rape drug GHB, steroids, Ketamine and Viagra. The street value of the drugs is estimated at about $5.5 million. Police also seized $400,000 cash.

Officers arrested 25 people yesterday and six others during the investigation.

"I personally have not seen that much heroin in one location," Det.-Sgt. John DeCourcy said.

There is a positive side to all this doping.  Joe Lindsey in Bicycling reports on the Garmin-Chipotle team.

This is part two in a series on anti-doping measures by the Garmin-Chipotle team (Click here to read part one). The issue of doping in sports, for a fan, boils down to a simple question: how do we know that the performances we see before us are real? The 2008 Tour de France seems to have provided two instructive answers to that so far between the mountain-top finishes of the 10th and 17th stages and Christian Vande Velde's fight for a podium finish. Are Vande Velde's results proof of a cleaner sport? Do the numbers from his team's testing program back it up? Read on and find out as the most-transparent team in the history of the sport has shared its testing numbers with Bicycling.com's Joe Lindsey for the world to see on page four.

The top controversies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. (The Street)

Daily Steroid Dose

1.  How will the MLB Hall of Fame look after the Steroid Era?  (The Guardian)

2.  Who is trustworthy in sports today?  (Sun-Sentinel)

3.  Coaches in Louisiana want control over their high school players to keep them away from 'roids.  (Daily World)

4.  New book examines professional cycling's dope masters.  (New Statesman)

5.  St Petersburg FL officers having problems, including steroid use.  (inRich.com)

Daily Steroids Dose

1.  Australian police station raided in steroids search.  (ABC News)

2.  While you're watching those Olympians selling candy bars remember once Ben Johnson was a corporate spokesman.  (Blogging Stocks)

3.  California bans steroids in horse racing.  (Modesto Bee)

Cop steroid busts hurt New York City police work

Good story in the Village Voice today discussing how cops busted on steroids don't make for smooth legal proceedings.

In the wake of numerous cases befouled by the misdeeds of NYPD narco cops, the department's steroid scandal is now further deflating the judicial system.

Prosecutors in Brooklyn dismissed 54 narcotics cases late last week, bringing the total in that borough alone to 271—and counting.

Incredible.  Cops busted for using or selling steroids are poisoning the prosecutors cases; this doesn't sound like a process for making the streets of New Yrok safer.  Here is one story:

Meanwhile, the still-simmering steroid scandal ("Cops on Steroids," December 19–25, 2007) has just begun poisoning cases: A prime example is the bust of gunman—and known scumbag—Gary Waters.

The ex-con was nabbed by cops in September 2006 with a fully loaded 9mm handgun, an extra 15-bullet magazine, 27 loose rounds, and a pair of handcuffs. Since then, however, the arresting officer in the case, Vaughn Ettienne, and his supervisor, Sergeant Raymond Cotton, were suspended in the steroid probe, which has ensnared 29 cops who allegedly received illegal prescriptions. Both Ettienne and Cotton tested positive for steroid use, according to law-enforcement officials.

After Waters's lawyer read late last year in the Voice about the suspensions, he launched a "'roid rage" accusation against both Ettienne and Cotton (who signed off on the bust). Last month, Brooklyn Supreme Court judge Michael Gary denied Waters's request for access to the Brooklyn D.A.'s files in the steroid probe to determine whether there was any evidence to support his lawyer's contention that the cops were in the throes of "'roid rage" when they busted him. But the judge ruled that Waters's Legal Aid attorney, Adrian Lesher, already has a "good-faith basis" to question the cops—if they take the stand, as they normally would in such a case—about steroid use and its possible side effects.

It's unlikely that this courtroom confrontation will ever materialize, however.

A spokesman for D.A. Charles "Joe" Hynes says that "our position right now is [that] the case is still going forward," but sources in the office say a supervising assistant district attorney in charge of gun cases is leaning toward dismissing the case against Waters.

Ettienne and Cotton would too easily become targets for the defense, says a source.In any event, cops will often become worthless as witnesses for the prosecution if they're facing legal troubles of their own.

"My experience is that once cops get suspended, they generally don't cooperate with us anymore" on their pending cases, the source says.

D.A. spokesman Jerry Schmetterer says the office will review other pending cases involving Ettienne, Cotton, and four other police officers suspended last November after testing positive for steroids, to determine whether those suspensions would adversely affect the cases stemming from the busts they made. Schmetterer says he doesn't know how many such cases have been worked on by the six cops.

Defense attorneys will jump all over the evidence for an increase in aggressiveness seen with anabolic steroid use:

Lesher won't comment on the case, but one of his motions notes that "anabolic steroids have been repeatedly cited by medical authorities as a reason for spontaneous and irrational aggressive behavior," and contends that "'roid rage was probably partially responsible for one of the most horrific instances of New York police brutality in modern memory, Justin Volpe's sodomization of Abner Louima with a toilet plunger in 1997."

There may or may not be complete scientific evidence that anabolic steroids increase EVERY users aggression; attorneys simply need to throw that doubt out there for jurors to ponder.

Officers have been plagued with corruption due to drugs and sex in the past, but now add steroid use to a list of corrupting influences.  And cite this compelling case made by the defense:

But try telling that to a Brooklyn jury—especially when the defense, according to its motions, was headed down this path: "In this case the reported illegal use [by Ettienne and Cotton] provides cause to believe that at least these officers put their interest above those of society, that these officers feel free to commit criminal acts with impunity and that these officers are under the influence of drugs which cause irrational aggressive behavior. Moreover, the desire to cover up such illegal behavior provides a motive to fabricate testimony and evidence."

Daily Steroids Dose, July 4th Edition

1.  Morgan Hamm takes shot in the dark; corticosteroid shot may not be OK.  (San Fran Chronicle) (LA Times)

2.  Toronto cops in trouble for large drug ring, including steroids.  (CTV) (UPI)

3.  Former 100M world record holder and BALCO cheat Tim Montgomery pleads guilty to heroin charges.  (Sporting Life) (AP)

4.  The PGA kicks off dope testing.  (AP)

5.  Lord Coe not happy with Dwain Chambers's legal challenge.  (The Telegraph)

6.  Was Hawaiian firefighter selling Chinese steroids?  (Honolulu Advertiser)

Daily Steroid Dose

1.  Ex-sheriff of Henry County Virginia walks away from prison today after 8 months inside for selling guns and drugs -- including steroids -- that his department confiscated in busts.  What's a sheriff to do with all the budget cuts?  (WXLL-12.com)

2.  ESPN says the professional sports leagues need better leadership.  How about the Ex-Sheriff of Henry County Virgina, who appears to be good at organization and resourcefulness?  (ESPN)

3.  Greek weightlifters caught with steroids in Herculean bust.  (The Canadian Press)

4.  Purdue history professor says MLB not affected by steroid scandals because, well because it's like the roads are so crowded no one's driving anymore.  (Media News-wire)

Daily Steroid Dose

1.  Jose Canseco, sued by his ex-lawyer who says Jose juiced up hidden assets. (Philly.com)

2.  The MLB donates $$$ to the Taylor Hooton Foundation.  (MLB.com)

3.  Impressed with the Plano problems, Dallas will begin steroid testing on police.  (News West.com)

4.  Ken Griffey Jr. hits home run #600, yawn.  (MLB.com)

5. Former world champion cyclist -- Tom Boonen -- test positive for coke.  (PR-inside)

6. Juiced boxer Botha says 'the white buffalo is back". (Fighthype)

More police-steroid shenanagens: NYPD supervisor juices up

The New York Post informs readers of a huge steroids sting that napped a NYPD official. Story here.

An NYPD deputy chief was hit with internal charges for allegedly buying human growth hormone at a Brooklyn pharmacy raided in a steroid sting last year, sources said Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Michael Marino's name was among 27 NYPD customers discovered after investigators seized records and $8 million worth of steroids and HGH from Lowens Compounding Pharmacy in Bay Ridge in October.

After his name surfaced, Marino took and passed a drug test and initially was cleared by top brass, a move the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association said smacked of favoritism.

An ongoing investigation, however, found Marino had been issued a prescription for HGH even though it wasn't medically necessary, sources said.

Marino, executive officer of patrol borough Brooklyn North, was charged with conduct prejudicial to the department for possession and use of steroids and/or HGH outside standard medical care, sources said.

The NYPD will begin random drug testing for steroids July 1.

Incredible.  Eight million dollars of juice and gear some of it to NYPD members.  Guys who should be emotionally stable, and legally forthright, on the juice.  At least random testing will begin this summer.  Look for your NYPD to be more slender, kinda like the look sported by those MLB sluggers this year.

Daily Steroid Dose

1.  In what seems to be a daily occurrence, another steroid dealer met with league officials, this time the NFL.  Book out in July.  (Sporting Life)

2.  Past steroid use becomes issue in Muscatine County sheriff's race (Muscatine Journal)

3.  Lots of 'roids going down in Reno high schools. (Reno News)

Daily Steroid Briefing

1. More cops on steroids in Tennessee. (MSMV)

2.  Brian McNamee's lawyers sending investigator to Houston to probe the Rocket. (NY Times)

3.  Here is why Barry Bonds was benched.  (Newsweek)

4.  Squeezing juiced horse in PA. (Erie Times-News)

5. Canadian horse doped up on Alzheimer drug. (Toronto Sun)

6. Newspaper in Oklahoma says steroid use on the rise.  (NewsOK)

Daily Steroid Briefing

1. Mom's got new breasts, kids, and here's how.  (Times Online)

2.  Is the Mitchell Report like a cat in a nursing home?  'Mitchell Players' not doing so well this year. (The Canadian Press)

3. Track athletes undergo voluntary drug tests (Baltimore Sun)

4.  Another cop is on 'roids in Oklahoma (Tulsa World)

5.  Juiced, 'roided-up wife-killer gets life in the UK.  (BBC News)

Daily Steroid Briefing

1.  Marion Jones's teammates to lose Sydney medals; whose crying now.  (AFP)  (How about the San Francisco Giants?)

2.  Michigan's Mario Manningham played 'high'.  The state of NCAA drug testing.  (Freep)

3.  It's all about winning in the USJCA  (US Jock Culture of America)(USA Today)

4.  Scientists admit to cerebral bench-presses and brain PEDs.  (Breitbart)

5.  Cockfighters bribed lawmaker.  [post your own pun here].  (Knoxnews)

6.  New York City cops to submit to steroid tests.  Start boning up on those Tyler Hamilton excuses.  (NY Daily News)

7.  Which celebrities juice? (Cracked.com)

Cache of drugs -- HGH & steroids -- found in Atlanta home once owned by WWE wrestler Mike Knox

A stash of drugs (HGH, steroids) found in house once owned by WWE wrestler.  Fox Atlanta carries the story. (Update: reports indicate the WWE wrestler was Mike Knox; and here)

Henry County Police are investigating what a Locust Grove man says he found inside his home.

He turned over to police several bottles that were labeled as containing human growth hormones.

The man also gave police numerous syringes and other materials that investigators say could belong to a W.W.E. wrestler.

"I had never looked in here and so she was gonna put her stuff in here and just looked back in here and the boxes were just sitting there," said the homeowner.

The Atlanta area, home to many WWE wrestlers, seems to be a hotbed of steroid activity.  Chris Benoit lived there.  Surprise, the baby is sucking on some masternon:

The homeowner was referring to two shoe boxes that contained several small bottles labeled as testosterone, neomasteron -- which is also an anabolic steroid -- some bottles with no markings at all and there were numerous unopened syringes.

Asked what his thoughts were upon discovering the drugs, the homeowner said "well being the fact that I have children I was horrified because my kids actually play up in that room and so the first thing I thought is what if there were to open that and they would have gotten a hold of the stuff and the syringes."

The shoeboxes also contained personal documents with the name of a man who used to live in the house.

Among those documents was the contract he signed as a wrestler for the W.W.E. and a memorandum to W.W.E. superstars in 2004 about the new dress code.

Wonder if the contents will appear on Georgia's 'unclaimed property' website?

Henry County Police have asked FOX 5 News not to name that wrestler at this time because they want to talk with him first.

Reports of the Great Khali, Dalip Singh, staying in Locust Grove, GA...

"i met dalip twice as i was working at walmart supercenter in mcdounough georgia in feb of 2006 he was shopping with his wife and two other people buying groc.he was he staying in locust grove ga,for a week for a wrestling match he was very kind but his wife was a little rude she didnt like people talking to him"

Daily Steroid Briefing

1.  New York City cops get lecture on steroids.  (NY1 News)

2.  Gilbert Arenas does not have freedom of speech about Roger Clemens and steroids (AOL Sports)

3.  Barry Bonds might still be swatting at balls this year.  (Trading Markets)

4.  WADA plans on testing for HGH during the Olympics in China.  (ESPN)

5. Rafael Nadal, looking really buff for a tennis player in Florida tournament.  (Palm Beach Post)(Go out and hit)

Daily Briefings

1.  Sports writing has gone out of bounds (UTNE Blogs)

2.  All about lying (wnyc)

3.  Prison guard in UK caught smuggling in steroids (Chronicle and Echo)

4.  The Anti-steroid fight is stupid (Steroid Report)

5.  Certain genetic variations affect testosterone metabolism, perhaps beating the anti-doping tests more easily (Modern Genetics)

Operation Phony Pharm nabs MySpace steroid ring

This short article describes a sting operation to bring down Internet rings selling controlled and scheduled drugs.

TYLER J. LUNN, 28, of Phoenix, Arizona, pleaded guilty ay before United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to one count of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, LUNN conspired with Matthew Peltz and others to purchase more than one kilogram of raw steroid powder from China, manufacture anabolic steroids at his home, and distribute them to customers around the country through a MySpace.com profile and an Internet web site they created, www.anabolic-superstore.com.

This matter stems from Operation Phony Pharm, an investigation headed by the FBI’s Healthcare Fraud Unit in the District of Connecticut. Using several sophisticated investigative techniques, this initiative has targeted web sites and individuals who are selling Schedule II and III pharmaceuticals over the Internet without a doctor’s consultation or a legitimate legal written prescription. The investigation also sought to identify and close down underground laboratories in the U.S. that are making these drugs from raw materials obtained from outside the U.S.

Judge Kravitz has scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2008, at which time LUNN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

On September 27, 2007, Peltz pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of anabolic steroids.  He awaits sentencing.

My Steroid Space, once again.

Another Tennesee police officer nailed in steroids probe

Law enforcement use of steroids adds another name today when a Tennessee officer became injected into the fray. NBC-4 in Nashville with the news.

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A federal investigation into steroid use among police officers and the public has ensnared another officer and a personal trainer.

On Friday, Murfreesboro Officer Phillip Hatcher graduated from the police academy and was stripped of his gun and badge on the same day. Investigators arrived the same day to interview the new graduate.

"I can confirm that Metro officers were among those who interviewed an employee of the Murfreesboro Police Department on Friday. That is part of this ongoing steroid investigation,” said Metro police spokesman Don Aaron.

This steroids bust adds to previous 3 busts in Tennessee:

Hatcher, three Metro police officers and an unknown number of state troopers are being investigated.

A photograph obtained from authorities by the Channel 4 I-Team showed nearly 100 vials of drugs that were seized as part of a joint Metro police and Drug Enforcement Agency investigation into steroid use in middle Tennessee.

"Make no mistake, there have been a lot of steroid material seized over the past several weeks," said Aaron.A large quantity of the drugs, according to police, was sold by former personal trainer Scott Haines.

Metro police arrested Haines last week when officers said they found him dealing steroids out of his car and apartment.Police said they believe Haines was supplying the three Metro officers with the drugs...

Hatcher has been stripped of his police powers and placed on administrative duty. The three Metro officers have also been decommissioned and must remain at home pending the investigation.

Haines is in jail because his arrest last week was a violation of his probation for a methamphetamine conviction.

Steroid importer arrested on drug charges: British Dragon goes down

During the Congressional steroids hearings, strident voices spoke out against 'wasting congressional time' investigating steroid and PED use in sports.  Must be better things for the US Congress to do, rather than investigate a bunch of baseball players juicing up.

Where does the juice get squeezed?  The mob distributes illegal steroids and PEDs.  Illicit pharmaceutical manufacturers import the juice into the country.  Corrupt police and law enforcement officers often become involved in illegal steroid distribution.

Should Congress concern itself with narcotics laws violations?  Organized crime?  Police corruption?  Money laundering and tax evasion?  Illicit drug manufacturing?  Fraud?  Or are these topics simply as waste of time and resources.

This story describes a huge steroids bust of a major importer of illicit drugs.  Later, bloggers noted that one of the accused (Crawley) founded British Dragon -- a huge importer of illegal steroids. (thanks to Sal for the link; Anthony Roberts gets credit for the original discovery))

100 Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) officers, equipped with arrest warrants, in co-operation with Thai police, today arrested a British gang selling steroids illegally in Soi Chaiyapreuk, Pattaya and seized assets worth over Bt 20 million...

The police and D.E.A. officers, acting on arrest warrant no. 98/255, searched a two-storey house in Pattaya New City Village, Soi Chaiyapreuk , Jomtien Beach Road. The police later arrested Mr.Edwin Richard Crawley (44) a British national who lives in the house, which he had used as the centre of operations for his business. According to the police report, Mr. Edwin Richard Crawley originally opened a company called" Nutri Med. Co. Ltd." registered as an import-export company. However, police did not find any illegal items or incriminating evidence, only documents relating to the import and export of goods.

Interesting that the drug importer, was a member of 'high society'.  The founder of 'Dragon' -- Crawley.

...police later arrested Mr.Ashley Vincent Livingston (45) British, and Mrs. Jirawan Livingston(38) , his wife, living at a house in Moo. 10, Soi Kow Noi, Pattaya Hill 1. According to the information police had received, they all belonged to the same gang, whose big boss was Edwin Richard Crawley...Thai police were originally notified by the D.E.A. that they had intercepted steroids, which had been delivered to America in plain envelopes and on investigation, discovered that the biggest operation was in Pattaya . Mr. Edwin (the big boss) had been importing steroids from China through the Internet and then forwarding them to USA and Europe. On receipt, customers would send money to his account in Thailand. Some of the goods were sent to Pattaya and repacked in dolls or fruit, to be sent to Europe by parcel or in plain envelopes. Mr. Ashley had been worked with Mr. Edwin as his assistant, finding customers for him. This operation had been running since 1999. It made him a millionaire, being able to afford to buy property in Pattaya worth Bt 20 million. Mr. Edwin was also a volunteer, helping charities in Pattaya, so he was well known among the high-society set. He is also the coach of a disabled weight lifting team, which has won many trophies.

Interesting that the bust sounds like  "American Gansgster" (in the Orient), "The French Connection", "Traffic" and a million other movies about sleazy drug smugglers.  Here is an bust of 1.3 tons of steroids and illicit drugs.

Since the 60s and 70s illicit steroid and PED smuggling parallels illicit narcotics and cocaine smuggling.  Should Congress be concerned with the new smugglers blues?  Of course.  (more after the jump)

Boston police call for steroid program/testing

As we recently reported (here and here), police departments across the country  find themselves faced with steroid and PED use/abuse in law enforcement members.  Reacting to the problem, the Boston police department eyes anti-doping measures.  (here is a recent steroid bust of a hub officer in Florida) (Update: Arizona starting program to keep law enforcement off steroids)  (The Boston Globe): 

Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis is thinking of making his officers do something uncommon in big city departments: submit to regular testing for steroids.

As a federal grand jury probes steroid use in the Boston Police Department, Davis has ordered his aides to research the ways other departments around the country test for the drug.

"It really does revolve around the issues of steroids causing aggression in people and the concern around that problem," Davis said in a recent telephone interview. "We would look at other policies around the country to look at best practices. We certainly don't want to write the book from scratch if it's already being written."

However, other police departments fail to test for steroids on a regular basis.

However, a Globe survey of nine major departments - including New York, Los Angeles, and the Massachusetts State Police - found that none of them test regularly for steroids.

Instead, those departments follow protocols similar to Boston's. Officers are regularly tested for narcotics such as cocaine and amphetamines. They are only checked for steroids if officials suspect they are using them.

Cost is a factor:

Officials from police departments in other cities say that testing for steroids is too expensive to do regularly. It costs at least $100 to test for anabolic steroids, but only about $25 for a test that determines whether an officer has taken marijuana, opiates, cocaine, amphetamines, or PCP.

Officials say testing for narcotics has historically been a bigger priority for supervisors and citizens, who worry more about the effects of those drugs on a gun-wielding police officer than that of steroids.

And tradition:

"I think just historically that narcotics use was considered more of a threat to law enforcement," said Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne of the New York Police Department. "I think the threat of narcotics use, specifically narcotics use and the involvement of violent organized gangs and its distribution, made the use of those drugs particularly of concern."

(more after the break)