Applied Pharmacy Services in Mobile, Alabama was considered as one of the largest steroid distribution ring in the country. It involved several doctors who made illegal prescriptions for the company. Owners were already charged including other doctors from around the country for conniving with the pharmacy owners. Anabolic steroids can be prescribed to patients who need medical treatment, however, allowing them to take steroids without actual consultation makes the prescription illegal.

In the latest update of the case, a Colorado doctor who played a significant role in the investigation gets a lighter penalty because of his cooperation. Scott A. Corliss, 55 of Greeley, Colorado was sentenced second week of October for 1 year probation. Prosecutors believed that the sanction given to the doctor is already enough because he was the least guilty in the conspiracy. Corliss pleaded guilty for withholding information about a conspiracy to write prescriptions for anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances in January 2008.

The testimony of Corliss helped the prosecutors establish a strong case against the owners of the Mobile pharmacy and other doctors involved in the conspiracy. The trial which lasted for 5 weeks early this year revealed that the doctor is the least culpable in the steroid case. The prosecutors through Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Dobbins, asked for the lighter penalty for Corliss. Dobbins told the court, “You saw his demeanor. You saw how difficult this was for him.”

Dobbins was quoted by an Alabama website saying that the Colorado doctor was not after the money but more concerned on helping patients control the ageing process. “He said his motivation was not greed, but a genuine desire to slow down the aging process. He said he regrets continuing to write prescriptions even when presented with patients who did not meet the proper criteria,” Alabama Live reports.

Aside from the probation, the doctor also forfeited $12,000. During the sentencing, Corliss told the court that he was remorseful for what he had done. “I cannot adequately express the remorse I have for allowing myself to become involved in this. I compromised my own judgment. I didn’t listen to that voice inside my head that warned me not to go down that path,” he said.

Meanwhile, an athletic trainer in a local gym in San Francisco was charged by the authorities for possession of a controlled substance for sale. Marin County Major Crimes Task Force investigated Matthew David Goetz, 27, of Mill Valley for allegedly importing thousands of doses of anabolic steroids. Investigators said that the steroids came from Thailand.

Goetz was also charged for child endangerment after police found packaged anabolic steroids and needles in the bedroom of his two children. They also found packaging materials at his home which the police said were used to sell steroids in the area. Goetz is on $10,000 bail and is set to appear in court Monday.

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