July 17, 2017: Gloucester Woman Pleads Guilty to Her Role in Counterfeit Steroid Trafficking Scheme
|
|
|
U.S. Department of Justice Press Release
|
|---|
|
For Immediate Release |
United States Department of Justice District of Massachusetts |
|---|
BOSTON – A Gloucester woman pleaded guilty Friday, July 14, 2017, in federal court in Boston for her role in a conspiracy to traffic steroids and launder money.
Melissa Sclafani, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy with intent to distribute and distribute counterfeit steroids and one count of conspiracy to launder money. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Oct. 24, 2017. On April 12, 2017, Sclafani and five others were charged by criminal complaint.
From at least February 2016 until April 12, 2017, Sclafani conspired with others to manufacture steroid products, market them as “Onyx” steroids, and sell them to customers across the United States using email and social media platforms. Customers paid for the steroids via money remitters, such as Western Union and MoneyGram, and members of the conspiracy used false identifications and multiple remitter locations to pick up the steroid proceeds.
Sclafani obtained materials and supplies to manufacture the counterfeit steroids and served as the corporate secretary of Wicked Tan LLC, a tanning business in Beverly that was owned by two co-conspirators. Sclafani assisted members of the conspiracy in laundering proceeds from the sale of counterfeit steroids through the business.
The conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss of the conspiracy, and the charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the gain or loss of the conspiracy. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb; Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Shelly Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal investigation, New York Field Office, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Harman Burkart and David J. D’Addio of Weinreb’s Cybercrime Unit are prosecuting the case.
Topic(s):
Drug Trafficking
Component(s):