“We have been told by the prosecutors that they do not intend to bring charges against Matt Lehr in connection with their ongoing steroid investigation,” said Paul Coggins in Dallas. “After reviewing the evidence gathered to date, the government reached the right conclusion.”
John Ratcliffe, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Texas, which is conducting the investigation, would not confirm Mr. Coggins’ statement.
“We are actively investigating the distribution of illegal steroids and human growth hormone,” he said. “As a matter of policy, we neither identify nor comment upon persons of interest in ongoing investigations.”
A source close to the steroid investigation told MESO-Rx that the steroids and football investigation is far from over. Whether the ongoing investigation involves Matt Lehr remains to be seen.
A federal investigation in North Texas uncovered one of the largest anabolic steroid distribution networks in the country; evidence seized during the course of the investigation allegedly implicated Matt Lehr. According to the Dallas Morning News and New York Times, a grand jury was convened with subpoenas for at least a couple of NFL players (former and active) to testify against Lehr for alleged steroid distribution in the NFL.
A co-defendant in the Plano steroids trafficking ring linked to a former Dallas Cowboys player has told investigators that he sold performance-enhancing drugs to Shaun Kelley, proprietor of the Houston weight loss clinic recently linked to baseball great Roger Clemens, according to the co-defendant.
The co-defendant indicated that the quantity sold was for personal use, “two or three vials here and there.” A second source close to the case corroborated the co-defendant’s statements.
The co-defendant told federal investigators in North Texas that he sold steroids to Kelley two months prior to the New York Times story linking Kelley with Roger Clemens.
David Jacobs’ six co-defendants include Amber Jarrell, Matt Williams, Brandon Smith, Juan Carlos Ballivian, Andrew Schenck and Jamie Mongeau.
Law enforcement doesn’t usually pursue personal use steroid cases . But it does not take much to turn a personal use steroid case into a “conspiracy to distribute” steroid case (e.g. 10 tablets of Dianabol).
Undercover officers have discovered evidence of steroid use at the fitness center and distribution by either Goodman or other members at the fitness center, according to court records.
That evidence includes syringes, bank statements, computer software, cell phone records and financial records belonging to either Goodman or the fitness center.
A confidential informant has told undercover officers that Goodman was “actively distributing steroids” and that “individuals associated with Physical Edge often use and/or distribute steroids,” according to court records.
NPC bodybuilder Keith Koppenhaver, who last competed at the 2000 NPC Junior Nationals, has also been implicated. Koppenhaver was a personal trainer at Physical Edge (Hi-Octane) and a friend of Chris Goodman.
Undercover officers seized several types of steroids, human growth hormone, insulin and other dangerous, controlled substances from Koppenhaver’s home or property, according to court records.
He has admitted to undercover officers that he sold steroids and never pays taxes from those sales or the money that he receives as a personal trainer, according to court records.
He has identified Goodman and a professional bodybuilder in the Oklahoma City area as his steroid suppliers, according to court records.
Tulsa County District Court records filed Wednesday show that officers recently searched the home and found vials of popular muscle-building steroids and human growth hormone. Among the substances found were testosterone, nandrolone decanate and stanozolol.
Also seized were e-mails to Ducasse “instructing him on bodybuilding drug use,” “handwritten notes regarding steroid cycles,” a “weekly steroid use schedule” and “7 pages of clients,” who are believed to be members of Sky Fitness & Wellbeing, 10121 S. Sheridan Road, according to the court records.
An employee at the fitness center said Friday that Ducasse trains clients at the facility.
The 17-year old Matthew Wong was arrested by the Grapevine Police Department on six count of manufacturing and distributing anabolic steroids. The teenager allegedly made the steroids in his own underground lab on a “quiet street where children play.” Police also arrested 26-year-old Averil Cavazos on steroid distribution charges (”Grapevine police bust alleged steroid operation,” April 14).
“Anybody could be their clients,” said Sgt. Kim Smith with the Grapevine Police Department. “We don’t have any information on who their client base was.”
Police issued a strongly worded warning about steroids.
“It can become addictive and can become dangerous and fatal,” Smith said.
The media and law enforcement continue to remind the public about the fatal dangers of steroids.
The Norfolk County Police Anti-Crime Task Force and Millis Police Department busted Daniel Pease on steroid distribution and steroid conspiracy charges. Pease purchased raw steroid powders from China and manufactured oral and injectable steroids in an underground lab in his apartment.
This was a relatively small-time steroid bust except that authorities discovered a how-to-make-anabolic-steroids instruction list in Pease’ apartment. Authorities revealed that elephant and dog tranquilizers were mixed with other chemicals to magically create anabolic steroids (”Millis man charged with steroid production,” April 14)?!
Detective Domenic Tiberi said more than $5,000 worth of steroids, 300 to 400 syringes and several chemicals, including elephant and dog tranquilizers, were confiscated …
Police believe different chemicals, such as the animal tranquilizers, were mixed together to make the steroids.
Police provided additional insight on the illicit underground steroid market by estimating that 20 vials of injectable steroids and 100 steroid tablets could supply steroid cycles for about 30 people.
Police found enough steroids to supply 30 people, Tiberi said.
At least 100 manufactured capsules were found in the apartment along with 20 bottles ready to be injected.
Through training, experience and undercover work, police were able to identify the chemicals, Tiberi said.
Pease or the Millis Police Department did not realize that steroids were already as dangerous as methamphetamines without the addition of “elephant tranquilizers.”
Philon initially said he had just completed his own cycle and was taking a week off and would provide the drugs to the source when he resumed, the complaint states. The source asked whether he or she could start earlier, and Philon said he would try to get the steroids, the complaint states.
The source made arrangements to meet Philon at a Publix supermarket on State Road 54 in Pasco. There, Philon gave the source a plastic sandwich bag with 10 pink tablets of Dianabol, the complaint states. Philon told the source how to use the pills.
This reprsents a 1 to 5 day supply of the anabolic steroid methandrostenolone for most bodybuilders.
A federal steroid investigation in Texas that shut down a major steroid source in the Texas is now targeting an NFL football player. Matt Lehr, currently with the New Orleans Saints but previously with the Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons, was one of the subjects of a grand jury investigation convening in Texas according to the New York Times. At least one active NFL player from the Atlanta Falcons was subpoenaed to testify against Lehr on possible steroid distribution charges (”Former Dallas Cowboy named in steroid investigation,” April 8 ).
Amateur bodybuilder David Jacobs was the steroid source that was busted in May 2007. Jacobs had extensive ties to both amateur and professional bodybuilders; he was widely recognized in the sport as IFBB Pro Branch Warren’s training partner. Fortunately for the sport of bodybuilding, bodybuilders were NOT the target of the federal investigation. It now appears that the end target(s) of the U.S. attorney’s office are professional football player(s).
David Jacobs had also previously trained with NFL player Matt Lehr in Texas. Lehr’s former girlfriend, female bodybuilder Andrea Trent, confirmed that David Jacobs and Matt Lehr were close.
“David and Matt were close and pretty tight,” said Ms. Trent, adding that they worked out together “all the time.”
Branch Warren has distanced himself from David Jacobs but surprisingly has come to the defense of football player Matt Lehr in the Dallas Morning News.
Local pro bodybuilder Branch Warren, who used to train with Mr. Jacobs, said he is friends with Mr. Lehr and does not believe the NFL player has ever done anything illegal.
“My understanding is, Mr. Lehr was suspended and he moved on with his life,” said Mr. Warren, who lives in Tarrant County. “Matt made a mistake, and he admitted to it. He’s a good guy.
“He’s an NFL player. Why would he sell drugs, someone who makes that kind of money?”
Mr. Warren said that although he does not condone steroid use, he believes it is pervasive in professional sports.
Matt Lehr’s attorney is trying to discredit Jacobs suggesting that the case against Lehr will be dropped due to faulty information provided by Jacobs. But David Jacobs has denied providing federal prosecutors with the names of customers who bought steroids from him stressing that evidence and associations with Lehr were established independent of his cooperation.
Mr. Jacobs denies that he gave up any of his customers’ names to prosecutors. But he says during the course of their investigation of him – which he says dates back to 2005 – authorities tracked his associations and developed the information on their own…
Federal prosecutors are looking at bank records, correspondence and other evidence analyzing what investigators believe could outline transactions involving anabolic steroids and human growth hormone between Mr. Jacobs and Mr. Lehr.
One thing is for certain - the federal investigation in Texas is far from over. All parties involved in related steroid cases must continue to wait for the conclusion of their respective cases while the feds pursue anabolic steroids in football.
Brendan Lyons and the Albany Times-Union have received a lot of praise and acclaim for their “investigative journalism” in the coverage of the Signature Pharmacy steroid distribution scandal. Admittedly, they do a throrough job of covering the Albany-based investigation initiated by District Attorney David Soares. But the reporting is anything but well-balanced serving as little more than a public relations branch of the Albany County District Attorney’s Office.
I do not understand how becoming the bedfellow of a publicity-seeking prosecutor David Soares and the unofficial Albany County District Attorney Office PR agent qualifies as “investigative reporting.” Does this represent the current state of what is valued in investigative journalism? (”Investigative journalism still thriving in Albany,” April 2)
More than 2000 vials of a banned steroid have been found by Customs officials inside a parcel sent to Sydney from Thailand.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the steroid seizure by customs in February has resulted in ongoing steroid busts in Sydney Australia (”Steroids found in Thai parcel: customs,” April 1).
Customs officers at Australia Post’s Gateway Facility in Sydney found the 2,378 ampoules of Sustanon 250, Stanozol and Nandrolone in plastic bags after examining a parcel from Thailand said to contain glass figures…
After finding the drugs in the mail on February 19, Customs investigators executed search warrants on premises in south-western Sydney last Friday and seized evidentiary material.
Investigations into the major steroid seizure are continuing.
Customs national manager for investigations, Richard Janezcko, said the agency was “continuing to detect and investigate increased attempts to smuggle prohibited and restricted performance enhancing drugs into Australia”.
Australia’s war on steroids is one of the most aggressive in the world, perhaps even more draconian than the efforts by the United States.
Everytime a steroid source is busted, there is considerable internet buzz about whether the source will “rat out” anyone. And everyone involved in the underground steroid black market wants to know whether their colleagues, their customers, or their sources will turn their name(s) over to federal/state investigators. Internet entrepreneurs have realized the demand for this type of information, much to the chagrin of law enforcement, with websites like Who’s A Rat? (”Web site that rats out informants worries Dallas officials,” March 29).
The site seeks to expose people who “rat on a business associates, friends, or family members just to save themselves,” said Chris Brown, whosarat.com spokesman…
The site has survived because of free speech protections, he said. “The bottom line is we provide the forum. The members post…”
Currently, anyone can go to Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) and download information about their favorite busted steroid source, past and present, including the criminal complaint, the indictment, and the plea agreement. I think this sort of transparency in our criminal justice system is great.
Unfortunately, websites like WhosaRat.com and RateMyCop.com have raised concerns among law enforcement that may ultimately restrict the public’s access to court records. This is a worthy debate in and of itself. But I want to focus on another aspect the process - plea agreements - and why these do not necessarily make the defendant a “rat.”
Practically all individuals indicted in steroid conspiracy, steroid possession, and steroid distributions charges will ultimately reach plea agreements with federal prosecutors. But a plea agreement by a defendent does not always mean they have ratted out either distributors higher on the steroid supply chain or customers lower on the steroid supply chain.
Plea agreements, especially in victimless crimes like steroid possession, are often reached to ease an overburdened criminal justice system (”Plea deals help make courts efficient,” November 18, 2007).
Plea agreements can save time and money while bringing a faster resolution for the accused and accuser. Without them, experts say, the courts would become clogged, bogged down and overworked.
“Obviously, from the standpoint of the court being able to function efficiently, without plea agreements, the system would slow down dramatically,” said La Crosse County Circuit Judge Scott Horne, elected to the bench last spring after 22 years as county district attorney.
Prosecutors like plea agreements because they guarantee a conviction. There are several types of plea agreements. Defendants can plead guilty to a lesser charge or some of the charges for a speedy conviction. They can also agree to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser sentence. Obviously, these type of plea agreements do not make them a snitch or a rat.
Clearly, some plea agreements involve the cooperation with ongoing investigations and/or testifying against a co-defendant, etc. Even these cases don’t always involve snitching on others. For example, the “cooperaton” could involve teaching federal prosecutors how a major steroid smuggling operation works in exchange for a more lenient sentence.
Other plea agreements could involve testifying against a co-defendant or a party in a related investigation. Often times, prosecutors ask defendants to simply confirm the evidence already collected by prosecutors. But even then, sometimes the cooperation is really too innocuous to qualify the defendant as a “rat.” A good example is the recent testimony of Patrick Arnold (Ergopharm) at Tammy Thomas’ doping trial. Pat explains his testimony here to readers of the MESO-Rx Blog:
I was basically forced into a very crappy situation. Last year right before i went to prison they subpoenaed me to a grand jury hearing. in that hearing they showed me evidence they had against tammy and it was clear to me they had all they needed to show i sold her stuff. So i told them yes i did.
if i did not, then i would have gone to prison. and it would not have done anything to help tammy anyway.
the good thing about this is that tammy’s attorneys are not even trying to deny she got stuff and took it, so my testimony this week was pretty moot. they are using another angle and surprisingly it turned out that my 3 hours on the stand helped tammy’s side much more then it helped the feds.
Other plea agreements (usually the sealed variety) involve confidential informants or cooperating defendants involved in sting operatons; these are typically what are called “rats” or “snitches.”
But the problem with websites like WhosaRat.com is that when plea agreements are uploaded, members often do not discriminate and assume the agreements to be proof that the defendant is a rat.
Authorities point out that a plea deal is not necessarily proof that someone is an informant or plans to testify against another defendant.
While it is always wise to assume the worst to protect yourself, assumptions based on incomplete information may not always be accurate.
