The Maryland residence of a United States Secret Service Agent was raided in July 2008 based on unverified allegations of steroid possession and distribution. The allegations were obtained during the course of the Oklahoma steroid investigation targeting competitive bodybuilders that started in December 2007.
At least fifteen members of the Maryland State Police SWAT team led by Matthew Newman entered the Agent’s house and held his family (including an infant child) at gunpoint during the raid. No anabolic steroids or illegal drugs of any kind were found. Analysis of the seized computer and bank records revealed no evidence of illegal activity. A urinalysis revealed no evidence of steroid use by the suspect. No charges were filed.
The Maryland raid is part of a larger steroid investigation spearheaded by R. Brian Surber, agent and attorney with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD). The Oklahoma-based investigation has led to the arrests of several IFBB and NPC bodybuilders and others in the Oklahoma competitive bodybuilding network. Surber has promised additional arrests including out-of-state arrests.
A disturbing trend has emerged in most of these cases. Brian Surber has shown an apparent bias towards using bodybuilder-type physiques as putative evidence of anabolic steroid use. While not a primary predictor of suspected steroid violations, Surber has reportedly used pictures of the muscular physiques as part of the probable cause to obtain search warrants in similar cases. Read more
