The Calhoun-Cleburne County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force arrested three individuals after a six-month investigation into steroid distribution at Dynabody Fitness, a commercial gym in Oxford, Alabama. The task force seems to be taking advantage of federal funds to expand their traditional war on drugs to include anabolic steroids (”3 arrested in steroid bust at fitness gym,” June 18).
Lt. Chris Roberson said Wednesday the owner, Cooper Freeman of Oxford, was arrested and charged with three counts of distribution of a controlled substance and several counts of possession of controlled substances.
Roberson said the gym manager, Billy Cole of Saks, was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime and possession of a controlled substance and Freeman’s wife, Amanda, was charged with possession of a controlled substance.
Alabama Governor Bob Riley awarded a $135,000 federally-funded grant to the Calhoun-Cleburne County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force on November 25, 2008 to help fund “undercover operations and investigations of drug dealers”.
The federal funds were made available through the Department of Justice thanks to H.R. 2764 (”Consolidated Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2008″); Congressman Mike Rogers from Alabama characterized the funding as one of his top homeland security priorities for Eastern Alabama. However, Congressman Rogers seemed to think the funds would be used to rid the communities of methamphetamines instead of steroids.
It is unclear how steroids represent a threat to homeland security in spite of assertions by the United States Customs that steroids fund “terrorism, death, and addiction around the world”.
Alabama Governor Riley justified the grant due to the direct relationship between drugs and violent crime; but it seems unlikely that Governor Riley had steroids in mind when he awarded the grant Read more
