BOSTON – Federal authorities hit six individuals with charges today in a widespread conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit anabolic steroids, a scheme fueled by vanity and potentially dangerous knock-offs. The operation allegedly pumped out illicit testosterone and trenbolone, catering to the bodybuilding community with products sourced from overseas and packaged as legitimate pharmaceuticals.
Those arrested include Tyler Bauman, a/k/a Tyler Baumann, a/k/a “musclehead 320,” 32, of Shrewsbury; Kathryn Green a/k/a Katie Green, a/k/a Katy Green, 28, of Shrewsbury; Philip Goodwin, 36, of Lynn; Robert Medeiros, 31, of Gardner; Brian Petzke, 49, of Saugus; and Melissa Sclafani, 29, of Gloucester. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit drugs and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. All are scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Boston at 3:00 p.m. today.
The feds allege a sophisticated operation: raw materials imported – including shipments from China – then cooked up into fake steroids and marketed aggressively online. The crew brazenly slapped the branding of “Onyx Pharmaceuticals” onto their homemade concoctions, misleading customers into believing they were purchasing legitimate products. Amgen, Inc., the actual owner of Onyx, doesn’t produce liquid steroids, making the branding a clear deception. Tyler Bauman, operating under the social media handle “musclehead 320,” allegedly played a key role in promoting the steroids, falsely claiming to be merely “sponsored” by Onyx.
But the operation didn’t stop at online sales. Authorities claim Bauman, Goodwin, and Sclafani used a Beverly tanning salon, “Wicked Tan,” as a front to launder profits and procure supplies for the steroid production. This isn’t just about muscle-bound vanity; it’s a calculated attempt to profit from illegal activity and potentially put users’ health at risk. The scale of the operation suggests a significant and sustained effort to flood the market with counterfeit drugs.
If convicted, the defendants face serious time. The charge of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit drugs carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain/loss, whichever is greater. The conspiracy to distribute controlled substances charge carries a heftier maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. It’s important to remember, however, that actual sentences are determined by a federal judge based on sentencing guidelines and other factors.
Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb, along with Matthew Etre of Homeland Security Investigations, Shelly Binkowski of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Jeffrey Ebersole of the FDA, announced the arrests. The investigation benefited from support from the DEA, Massachusetts State Police, Boston PD, MBTA PD, Customs and Border Protection, and multiple local police departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy Harman Burkart and David J. D’Addio are leading the prosecution. As with all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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