Broome steroid bust brings federal charges

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Broome steroid bust brings federal charges
September 23, 2015


Four men pleaded not guilty Wednesday to federal charges in a Broome County steroid bust following a series of early-morning raids.

A grand jury indicted Endicott residents Paul Boylan, 31, and Derek Strassle, 32; Port Crane resident Richard Progovitz, 37; and Binghamton resident Jeremiah O'Brien, 33, on charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance, related to anabolic steroids. Boylan and Strassle were also charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering.

The four defendants were each taken into custody Wednesday morning during raids by law enforcement at homes in Binghamton, Endicott and Port Crane.

According to a federal indictment, the criminal activities took place from January 2011 through Sept. 11 of this year.

All four defendants were led in handcuffs by state police to the U.S. District Court of Binghamton for arraignments Wednesday, but conditional releases granted by Judge David Peebles allowed them to return home.

Further court proceedings will be ordered to map out the next steps of each defendant's case, Peebles said Wednesday.

Shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday, members of the state police and the Drug Enforcement Administration searched homes at 205 McKinley Ave. in Endicott, and 29 Walnut St. in Binghamton.

The searches revealed evidence of steroid labs, including steroids in various stages of production and packaging materials, officials said.

Nikole Villanella, a 10-year resident of an apartment at the McKinley Avenue property, clutched a mug of coffee Wednesday morning after police left, and described the events as unsettling.

Police had searched Boylan's apartment on the second floor of the residence.

Villanella recalled she awoke around 6 a.m., then her boyfriend looked out the window and saw police vehicles surrounding the house.

Then, a state trooper knocked on her door and explained the situation.

"Safety is a priority for me," she said. "This is just crazy."

For pics,heres the link to the bust.....

http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/public-safety/2015/09/23/police-investigation-endicott-binghamton/72668216/

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BUSTED: Steroid ring spanned 5 states, based in Broome


The federal charges in Broome were part of the DEA's "Operation Cyber Juice"

A series of police raids this week that netted nearly a dozen suspects targeted a Broome County-based steroid distribution ring spanning five states, officials say.

Ten men are facing prosecutions in federal court following raids early Wednesday morning. Investigators working with the U.S. Postal Service uncovered a conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and five defendants also engaged in international money laundering as part of the operation, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The case was part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's nationwide crackdown on underground steroid labs.

Since Congress declared anabolic steroids illegal in 1990, law enforcement officials have targeted its production and distribution. But those efforts have not diminished the demand for this performance-enhancing substance, said Rick Collins, a Long Island-based attorney with over 20 years of experience in defending cases involving steroids nationwide.

"The non-medical use of steroids has been around since the 1950s and 60s and it's grown over some time," Collins said. "The steroid black market is an example of how illegal markets adapt to interdiction efforts by the government."

Underground labs have become a dominant source of steroids within the past five years, Collins said.

The indictment unsealed Wednesday in Binghamton's federal courthouse shed light on the drug's presence in Broome County.

Endicott residents Paul Boylan, 31, and Derek Strassle, 32; Port Crane resident Richard Progovitz, 37; and Binghamton resident Jeremiah O'Brien, 33, were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute a controlled substance, related to anabolic steroids. They face up to 10 years in federal prison, if convicted.

Six out-of-state conspirators were also charged as part of the same operation, prosecutors said. Ryan Root, 36, Michael Gisondi, 48, both of New Jersey; Caleb Doane, 30, of Nevada; Kent Fletcher, 46, and Jason Garcia, 21, both of Georgia; and Kyle Clark, 30, of Florida, were included in Wednesday's indictment.

Searches by police during the Broome County investigation uncovered evidence of steroid labs, including steroids in various stages of production and packaging materials. A grand jury indictment alleges the criminal activities took place from January 2011 through Sept. 11 of this year.

Boylan, Strassle, Progovitz and O'Brien were granted conditional releases after they were arraigned in federal court Wednesday.

"Anabolic steroids are controlled substances that carry significant health risks when used or distributed unlawfully," U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian said in a statement Thursday. "I commend the federal and state agencies that worked together to dismantle this organization."

On Sept. 1, the DEA announced an ongoing crackdown, "Operation Cyber Juice," that has targeted underground anabolic steroid lab crackdowns in 20 states.

Products found in these labs are often obtained over the Internet from Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and underground labs, the DEA said.

According to the DEA, anabolic steroids are synthetically produced variants of the natural hormone testosterone and can be abused in an attempt to promote muscle growth and enhance physical performance.

Health risks associated with using steroids include dramatic mood swings, increased feelings of hostility, and impaired judgement, according to the DEA.

Users can also experience depression when they stop taking the steroids, the DEA said, and continued ingestion can lead to a psychological dependence. Officials say the steroids can be taken as tablets or capsules, creams, transdermal patches, or by injection.

But while anabolic steroids are illegal controlled substances, just like heroin or cocaine, Collins said, steroids are different because they are generally used to enhance the user's appearance, not for getting a “high.”

He said steroids are also not associated with the gang-like violence that can be linked to other drugs.

People often think of typical steroids users as cheating athletes and teenagers, he said, but they represent only a fraction of those who take the drugs.

"The average steroid user is not Barry Bonds," Collins said. "The average user is a white-collar guy who goes to the gym and who wants to look better when beach season comes."