James Nhan, Anabolic Steroid Manufacturing, Iowa 2018

Orange City, Iowa – James Nhan, 23, was sentenced Monday, March 5, 2018, to two years’ probation with a mandatory two-week jail term after admitting to manufacturing anabolic steroids with intent to distribute. The case marks a rare federal prosecution of a student chemist operating a clandestine steroid lab from his residence.

Nhan, a former Iowa State University student, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2017, to one count of manufacturing anabolic steroids. According to court documents, he produced and distributed performance-enhancing drugs from late 2014 until December 15, 2015. Federal prosecutors say the operation was methodical, commercial in scale, and supplied customers across multiple states.

Law enforcement raided Nhan’s Orange City home in December 2015, seizing vials of finished steroids, lab equipment, packaging supplies, and customer purchase lists containing names and addresses. Investigators also found evidence that Nhan imported raw chemical precursors from China, circumventing federal import controls and safety regulations.

At sentencing in Sioux City, U.S. District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand handed down the 2-year probation term with the consecutive 14-day jail condition—a compromise reflecting both the non-violent nature of the offense and the seriousness of illegal pharmaceutical manufacturing. A $100 special assessment was also imposed.

The case was aggressively pursued by a multi-agency task force including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security, Nebraska State Patrol, and the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Inspector General. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ajay Alexander led the prosecution.

Case file 17-CR-4050-LTS is available through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa’s electronic filing system. Follow updates via @USAO_NDIA.

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