The Pasco County Sheriff’s Department in Tampa, Florida sent a SWAT team into a residential neighborhood to arrest an officer for selling 10 tablets of Dianabol (methandrostenolone) to a confidential source (CS).  That was the only crime he committed as listed in the criminal complaint.

Philon  met with the CS in the parking lot at the CS’ vehicle. During that time, agents were able to observe PHILON give the CS a package and receive money from the CS. The CS was then met by agents where he/she turned over a plastic sandwich bag with 10 pink tablets of Dianabol. The CS stated that when PHILON provided the 10 Dianabol pills to him/her PHILON also gave verbal instructions to CS on how to use the Dianabol pills.

The local media and Sheriff’s Department strongly implied that Philon was involved in a much larger criminal enterprise involving the illegal distribution and diversion of 100,000 tablets of Oxycodone from a pharmacy warehouse. Another deputy was arrested on the same day for his involvement in the Oxycodone drug distribution ring.

I have seen no documents to confirm suggestions that Philon had any involvement in Oxycodone trafficking; apparently his only crime involved the sale of 10 tablets of Dianabol.

However, since the CS (confidential source) was involved in the Oxycodone drug ring and Philon sold Dianabol to the CS, the Sheriff’s Department and local media reported that Philon was arrested as part of the Oxycodone investigation.

There is a big difference between someone selling 10 tablets of Dianabol and a person selling 100,000 tablets of the narcotic Oxycontin. I think it is grossly unfair and irresponsible for the media (and Sheriff’s Department) to tarnish Philon’s reputation by suggesting he was guilty of the latter crime if in fact this is false.  (Watch Sheriff Bob White’s press conference outside of Rodney Philon’s home to see what I mean.)

I ask readers to please correct me if I am wrong on the facts in this investigation.