July 28, 2017: Westerly Resident to Plead Guilty to Trafficking Steroids, Money Laundering Charges
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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 Rhode Island |
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PROVIDENCE – According to signed documents filed today in U.S. District Court in Providence, Evan Speck, 34, of Charlestown, has agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with possession with the intent to distribute steroids, distribution of a misbranded drug, and money laundering.
According to a plea agreement filed in this matter, in addition to pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute steroids, distribution of a misbranded drug, and money laundering, Speck will forfeit to the government 3 firearms and a total of $17,954 in cash seized during a court authorized search executed on March 20, 2017, during the investigation into this matter; and will, based on his narcotics trafficking, as charged in the information, forfeit a sum of money equal to the total value of forfeitable assets, in the amount of $536,000.
According to court documents, the government and Speck have agreed that for the purpose of calculating the appropriate sentencing guideline range, the amount of steroids relevant to count one of the information is the equivalent of 79.99 kilograms of marijuana; the defendant possessed a dangerous weapon in connection with drug trafficking; and the defendant distributed an anabolic steroid to an athlete.
An information is merely an allegation and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Today’s court filings are announced by Acting United States Attorney Stephen G. Dambruch; Jeffrey Ebersole, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations; Joel P. Garland, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; Shelly A. Binkowski, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Matthew J. Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for New England.
Possession with the intent to distribute steroids is punishable by statutory penalties up to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of 3 years. Distribution of a misbranded drug is punishable by statutory penalties up to 3 years imprisonment, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of 1 year. Money laundering is punishable by statutory penalties of up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $500,00, and a term of supervised release of 3 years.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dulce Donovan and Mary E. Rogers.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Task Force, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Homeland Security Investigations.
The Rhode Island FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Task Force is comprised of agents and officers from the FDA, IRS, DEA, HSI, Rhode Island State Police and the East Providence, North Providence and Westerly Police Departments.
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Contact:
Jim Martin (401) 709-5357 email: USARI.Media@usdoj.gov on Twitter @USAO_RI
Press Release Number:
17-89