James Edward Moore, Jr., was indicted for importation of anabolic steroids and possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids on February 27, 2008. Moore admitted to ordering steroids from IP China sending money via Western Union on at least six occasions to Zhijum He of China. The charges listed in Moore’s indictment were based on thousands of vials and ampules of steroids and thousands of steroid tablets found at Moore’s residence, storage lockers, and three intercepted packages linked to Moore.
The investigation of Moore began in late August 2007 when the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) opened an incoming package addressed to Jimmy Moore, Jr.; the steroid shipment was sent via International Express Mail by Sany Zeng of Chungsa, Hunan (China).
A second incoming package from China on October 22, 2007 was examined by federal authorities under an anticipatory search warrant. This International Express Mail shipment contained various anabolic steroids and growth hormone, including products labelled Test 400, British Dragon Trenabol Depot, Primobolan QV 100, Teston QV 200, and HGH marked Getropin 10IU Recombinant Human Growth Hormone.
The third incoming package was ordered from AlinShop and shipped by Gore Elena from the Moldova Republic. It contained eight 5mL sachets containing testosterone cypionate and eight sachets containing testosterone enanthate. All sachets were marked “Aromathekaypoil.”
Moore waived his Miranda Rights and told investigators he sold the anabolic steroids primarily to bodybuilders at the Santa Cruz Gold’s Gym and used them for personal medical problems e.g. “to fix his hormone levels.” He reported that he was disabled due to cardiomyopathy and kidney problems. Due to the sheer quantity of anabolic steroids discovered during the steroid bust, the Gold’s Gym in Santa Cruz has the most “jacked” bodybuilders in the country.
Moore resided at a house for recovering drug and alcohol addicts where he was manager and caretaker of the facility.
Howard Levine, M.D. of Northwest Lifestyle Medicine was sentenced to almost two years in prison for dealing anabolic steroids out of his Seattle medical office. According to court documents, Levine sold approximately FIFTY - 10mL vials of anabolic steroids (including nandrolone decanoate, stanozolol, testosterone enanthate, trenbolone acetate as well as oxymetholone tablets, human growth hormone, and nandrolone decanoate and testosterone gels) to two undercover agents and a paid DEA confidential source over the course of 18 months. Levine also sold several thousand dollars worth of anabolic steroids to a Las Vegas trainer for local bodybuilders on at least one occasion.
Over the course of the investigation, Dr. Levine was always alone in his medical office; there were no secretaries, nurses, or other administrative support staff present but he had a pool table a refrigerator full of beer. Levine never conducted any sort of medical assessment or history before prescribing steroids. During the course of the investigation, Levine discussed the resale of steroids by his clients including suggested prices. He also told his clients that they were considered drug dealers under the law and suggested that they refer their customers to him to avoid the possibility of criminal prosecution; he even offered to pay them a referral fee if they chose to do that.
Search warrants executed on Levine’s MSN and AOL email accounts (seattelmd@hotmail.com and ageisonlyanumber@aol.com) revealed that he sold steroids over the internet using the alias “Alan” where customers paid by credit card; there was no physical examination or medical questionnaire or any semblance of a doctor-patient relationship.
Levine was previously disciplined for selling Viagra over the internet via his company Confirmed.com LLC and ordered to cease selling prescription drugs via email and over the internet.
Levine was sentenced to prison for trying to extort $500,000 from Jack-in-the-Box stating that he was given spoiled chicken and threatening to take his story to the New York Times.
The Los Angeles Police Department discovered former bodybuilding cosmetic surgeon Bruce Nadler, MD and his wife dead as the result of gunshot wounds on Monday, February 4, 2008. Authorities believe it is an apparent murder-suicide perpetrated by Bruce Nadler.
Bruce Nadler called himself the “world’s strongest plastic surgeon.” He was probably the best known cosmetic surgeon catering to amateur and professional bodybuilders. He had performed over 700 gynecomastia surgeries in his career; “gyno” is a side effect of anabolic steroid use when antiaromatase and/or estrogen antagonists are not use concurrently.
After retiring from the practice of medicine in August 2005, Dr. Nadler, who called himself “the world’s strongest plastic surgeon,” wrote the “The Nip Tuck Workout: Exercise through the Eyes of a Plastic Surgeon” and subsequently moved with his wife to Los Angeles to reinvent himself in a new career as personal trainer with the opening of Nip Tuck Fitness LA in Beverly Hills.
Retired plastic surgeon and certified personal trainer Bruce J. Nadler M.D. has brought his Plastic Synergy training system to Los Angeles. As stated in his book, “The Nip Tuck Workout - Exercise through the Eyes of a Plastic Surgeon,” Dr. Nadler has created an exercise program based on the plastic surgical principles of proportion and symmetry. It combines careful analysis with an individualized exercise prescription.
Bruce Nadler, MD retired after the New York State Board of Professional Medical Conduct charged him with 29 specifications of professional misconduct in thirteen patients according to public records. Rather than fight the charges, Nadler submitted and consent agreement and voluntarily relinquished his medical license.
Failure to obtain and/or note an adequate and complete medical history and/or history of current complaint from patient.
Failure to perform and/or note a complete and appropriate physical examination of patient.
Failure to obtain and/or note appropriate and medically indicated laboratory studies on patient including: prolactin, TSH, LH, hepatic and renal function, and assays for estrogen levels and HCG.
Failure to properly diagnose patient’s condition and/or rule out underlying disorders.
Inappropriately and without medical idnication and/or justification, prescribing and/or maintaining patient on various medications.
Failure to maintain a medical record for patient in accordance with accepted medical standards which accurately reflects his care and treatment of the patient.
Bruce Nadler’s beliefs regarding anabolic steroids and bodybuilding were controversial for physician. He explained his own steroid use and his willingness to prescribe steroids and growth hormone to his patients in an interview with Testosterone Nation:
I’m my own test laboratory in that respect because, in the last two years, I’ve been taking 6 to 8 IUs a week of growth hormone, and I alternate between 200 mg a week of deca and 200 mg of testosterone cypionate the next week. Instead of going super physiological, I believe in just going to maximum natural levels to that of a man in his twenties. In this way, there are no side effects.
Nadler was also critical of the steroid hysteria in the U.S. and the political posturing surrounding anabolic steroids:
I’ve always felt that politicians always have to make the majority of the electorate think that they’re doing something? So they inconvenience a small, unimportant group, like bodybuilders. They have no idea what they’re talking about. Somebody hands them a speech, and they go! They took something that could have been done safely and sent it to the black market and all of the inherent dangers that go along with dealing with that element. Will they ever be legal again? I hope so.
