May 17, 2017: Gardner Man Charged with Conspiracy to Traffic Counterfeit Steroids
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U.S. Department of Justice Press Release
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For Immediate Release |
United States Department of Justice District of Massachusetts |
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BOSTON – A Gardner, Mass., man was charged today in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to traffic counterfeit steroids.
Robert Medeiros, 32, was charged for his role in a conspiracy to traffic counterfeit steroids marketed on social media to bodybuilders and sold around the country to customers.
According to court documents, from approximately March 2016 until April 12, 2017, Medeiros participated in an organization whose purpose was to manufacture steroid products, market them under the Onyx brand, and sell them to customers across the United States using email and social media platforms. Medeiros’ principal role in the conspiracy was to fulfill orders for anabolic steroids by obtaining the finished steroid products, branded with Onyx labeling and packaging, from other members of the conspiracy, prepare the steroids for shipment, and ship the steroids via the U.S. Postal Service to customers across the United States. Customers paid for the steroids through financial institutions like Western Union and MoneyGram. Members of the conspiracy used false identifications and multiple financial locations to pick up the proceeds. They purchased counterfeit Onyx labeling and packaging from overseas suppliers, as well as the raw materials to manufacture the steroids, either by using money remitters or by shipping U.S. currency to foreign suppliers. They allegedly manufactured the steroids in the residential home(s) of one or more members of the conspiracy.
The charging statute 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. 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 Jeffreys Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration made the announcement today. Assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Department, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Department; Customs and Border Protection; and Lynn, Shrewsbury, Gloucester, Saugus, and Gardner Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Harman Burkart and David J. D’Addio of Weinreb’s Cybercrime Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Topic(s):
Drug Trafficking
Component(s):