A total of 12 people were indicted in a long-running federal steroid probe in Alabama. Among these were three owners of a pharmaceutical company based in Mobile, Alabama, four pharmacists, and five others who operated a $4 million country-wide steroid distribution as was revealed in court documents presented last week. The defendants included Jason R. Kelley, 31, Samuel Kelley, 42, and Jodi C. Silvio, 49, owners of Applied Pharmacy Services Inc (APS). Eleven people have been taken under custody while one person remained a fugitive. Those facing charges did not offer any comments after they were released and will be facing arraignment this Wednesday.

APS has been allegedly distributing steroids and other illegal substances to doctors and dealers between 2003 and 2006 in at least 10 states including California, Arizona, Washington, Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, Florida, and South Carolina. The indictments are a result of a long-term investigation into the illegal distribution of anabolic steroids to clinics, gyms, doctors, workout clubs, and health clubs throughout the country.

Some doctors have already been charged earlier in the probe and in 2008, two doctors pleaded guilty to federal charges of steroid distribution. According to U.S. Attorney Deborah Rhodes, those recently indicted are being charged with the selling and prescribing of veterinary steroids for use by humans. The government is seeking a forfeiture of $4 million from the proceeds of alleged sales of illegal steroids.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna B. Dobbins refused to comment on the question of whether there were any sports figures involved in the recent steroid probe, but said that some steroid buyers were teenagers. The four APS pharmacists charged with steroid distribution include Roger A. Everett, 76, of Mobile; Mallory Mallon, 45, of Saraland; Robin K. Kelly, 49, of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Michael Bennett, 42, of Mobile. Five others were held in custody in Tennessee and Colorado. Dr. Jesse S. Haggard, 31, of Phoenix, Arizona, was described by the authorities as a fugitive. In the 198-count indictment, he is identified as a licensed “naturopathic” medical doctor.

Charged with drug and money laundering were Brett W. Branch, 40, of Eaton, Colorado and his partner Ronald E. Winter, 51, of Greeley Colorado. Allegedly, Winter recruited customers o at gyms and other workout and health facilities in Utah and Colorado. Also indicted were James A. Abernathy, 54, who ran Abernathy Longevity Systems in San Diego and Body Solutions Rx in Colorado Springs and Daniel C. Riedel, 37, who worked with Abernathy in filling steroids prescriptions.

The distribution network recruited customers and found buyers in the internet, through advertisements, and through their contacts in workout facilities. Some of the distributed drugs were sold as stacks or drug cocktails which included human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and human growth hormone (hGH). The drug distribution and conspiracy counts carry a maximum of $250,000 fine and five years in prison. If the drug was sold to a person under 21, the penalty is up to 10 years. Money laundering could bring in $500,000 fine and a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count.

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