Trial for some of the pharmacies allegedly involved in the illegal distribution of performance enhancing drugs to professional athletes still continues as new evidences are presented in court. The case of Signature Pharmacies in Florida which was touted as one of the biggest compounding pharmacy in Florida supplying professional athletes with steroids and other PED’s is being revive by federal authorities.

The raid on the two branches of the Signature Pharmacy in 2007 at Central Florida led to the arrest of its owners and caused the indictments of several doctors and clinic operators across the country. The investigation which was called as “Operation Which Doctor” was able to gather evidences that the pharmacy was used as a cental hub for a steroid network. However, this allegation was long argued by lawyers of the Signature Pharmacy.

In 2008, the defendants were able to get favorable decision from the New York court which dropped the charges and barred the federal prosecutors in filing additional charges to the accused. But right now, the federal prosecutors in Orlando are asking for a review of the evidences seized in the 2007 raid at Signature Compounding Pharmacies. Based on the court documents filed at Orlando Federal court, the prosecutors argued that the the evidences are related to the “pending grand jury investigation.”

Meanwhile, the doctor who was also charged for his involvement in the illegal prescription of steroids to clients and connivance with Lowen’s Pharmacy in Bay Ridge, NY walked as a free man when his lawyer was able to get a no-jail deal with the court.

Staten Island doctor Richard Lucente previously pleaded guilty for getting kickbacks from Lowens Pharmacy by prescribing steroids to his patients, including a controversial bodybuilder patient who later died because of steroid complications. The patient underwent a heart transplant but was still treated with anabolic steroids based on court records.

Lucente got 5 years probation and 200 hours of community service. The doctor also promised to give up practicing medicine for two years. “I want to apologize to my friends, my family and my patients,” Lucente said to the media. His lawyer, John Meringolo, on the other hand boasted to the media how he was able to win the case for his client. “They wanted 30 years. They didn’t get 30 minutes,” the lawyer said.

The respondents to the highly publicised case did not get any jail term. The charges to the Lowens Pharmacy were later dropped and its owner committed suicide.

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