Steroid Underground Lab Shut Down with Help of YMCA in Operation Bulk Up

**Prince** · 11-02-2011, 11:57 AM

Steroid Underground Lab Shut Down with Help of YMCA in Operation Bulk Up
By Millard Baker ~ source

Mike Carroll, the President and CEO of Countryside YMCA in Lebanon (Ohio), kept a big secret for almost two years. He had alerted the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office of a rumor that there was a steroid dealer selling bodybuilding drugs to members in the Cardio Strength Center of the Y.

The prosecutor’s office alerted Major John Burke, the commander of the Warren County Drug Task Force, who spearheaded an investigation codenamed “Operation Bulk Up”. Major Burke dispatched an undercover officer from the Wilmington Police to pose as a member of the YMCA in search of steroids.

Mike Carroll was the only person at the YMCA who knew of the existence of an undercover officer seeking to infiltrate the steroid underground at the local Y. He received secret updates from the Drug Task Force every 4-6 months throughout the course of the two-year investigation. The tip ultimately led to the bust of a large-scale, multi-state steroid distribution organization.

At its conclusion, the Warren County Drug Task Force and the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office announced the indictments of thirty-two people involved in the steroid distribution ring. In total, the co-defendants faced 248 charges that included multiple counts of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, steroid trafficking and steroid possession.

The investigation focused on the manufacturers and distributors of anabolic steroids according to Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell. Steroid users were not the target of the investigation although officials did not hesitate to indicate that competitive bodybuilders and professional athletes were likely among the clients.

Law enforcement officials seized an estimated $600,000 worth of anabolic steroids, $300,000 in cash and vehicles and almost 100 weapons including assault rifles, shotguns and handguns.

“It’s pretty amazing the amount of firearms, and what this organization was doing, which was peddling its poison through out the country, to include Ohio and the Tri-state region,” said Cincinnati ATF Agent Jim Dier.

The size and scope of the steroid-related indictments and the presence of weapons did not deter the Countryside YMCA CEO from speaking openly with the media and taking credit for his role in bringing down the criminal steroid organization.

“It’s our desire to keep this kind of illicit activity out of the community and out of our facility,” Carroll told the press. “I’m delighted that it has culminated in a positive law enforcement action. I guess it takes time as it was my understanding that they were going after the manufacturers and traffickers. It was one of those things that one thing led to another that led to another.”

It took three months of lifting weights at the YMCA before the undercover agent was able to purchase steroids from a steroid dealer at the gym on April 10, 2010. By the end of the year, the dealer became a confidential informant for law enforcement.

This led them to a clandestine underground laboratory (UGL) in Tennessee that manufactured injectable anabolic steroids from raw steroid powders imported from China. Chemist Kenneth Freeman and Jason and Stephanie Sherill of Tullahoma and Kenneth Freeman of Manchester were arrested in connection with the UGL.

Batches of 400 vials of steroids were shipped from the UGL to Ronald Herbort in Ohio who was identified as the ringleader of the steroid distribution organization.

A secondary ringleader identified as Matthew Geraci is alleged to have been a primary distributor for Herbort. Geraci operated a seemingly legitimate business that involved a complex locker system in which buyers and sellers of steroids could deposit and swap steroids for cash while avoiding face-to-face interaction.

“Steroids would be put in your locker, you get a key to your locker, open it up, got your steroids out, put your money in and that’s how this operation started,” according to Major Burke.

Officials told reporters that the organization shipped steroids around the country in addition to selling them locally at the Countryside YMCA in Lebanon and the Urban Active gym in Deerfield Twp. The presence of steroids at these two gyms is clearly not an isolated event. Operation Bulk Up reveals how easily law enforcement can disrupt the steroid trade at any given commercial gym (at least temporarily) if given top priority.
Operation Bulk Up Steroids at the Countryside YMCA
Source:

Richter, E. (October 31, 2011). 32 indicted in ‘high-level’ steroid trafficking ring. Retrieved from 32 indicted in ‘high-level’ steroid trafficking ring

Richter, E. (November 1, 2011). Multi-state steroid distribution ring broken up, police say. Retrieved from http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/...y–1278081.html

**pieguy** · 11-02-2011, 11:59 AM

Holy shit that's a lot of vials of oil O_o

**brad1224** · 11-02-2011, 12:06 PM

jesus they act like they are taking down the cartel! they act like a aas ring is so harmful to the community and theyre goin around killing ppl. ive never heard of ppl dying of a aas deal gone wrong. they really need to attack the real crime in america!

but i dont see why they needed so many guns

**Beefcakester** · 11-02-2011, 01:01 PM

"...peddling its poison through out the country"

laughable.....

**World-Pharma.org** · 11-02-2011, 01:01 PM

omfg..big big stock of gear.

**bobdylan** · 11-02-2011, 01:01 PM

That sure is a shit load of guns

**World-Pharma.org** · 11-02-2011, 01:04 PM

just another USA domestic source busted. Who is next?

**banker23** · 11-02-2011, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by brad1224

jesus they act like they are taking down the cartel! they act like a aas ring is so harmful to the community and theyre goin around killing ppl. ive never heard of ppl dying of a aas deal gone wrong. they really need to attack the real crime in america!

but i dont see why they needed so many guns

It's Ohio. People love guns here so the guy who was dealing was probably using his profits to buy whatever guns he wanted. Guns for men in Ohio are like shoes for women anywhere else...you can never have too many. I bet most of them were registered and legal and serial numbers were intact as you can buy almost anything here in Ohio.

I moved here from Cali and I've thought about doing stupid stuff sometimes so I don't think ready access to firearms is a smart idea for me at this point.

This was way too close to home for my liking...I pray that some day liberty makes a comeback. Probably won't happen until the whole system collapses under it own weight and cost unfortunately.

**~RaZr~** · 11-02-2011, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by pieguy

Holy shit that's a lot of vials of oil O_o

That's what I thought! Too bad it will probably be all destroyed

**IronAddict** · 11-02-2011, 01:31 PM

Awe, my Government!

They spend millions on stuff like this, while the real criminals go unpunished!

I will also ad, that ain't the only Y were you can buy the shiite!

The Y isn't just for fags anymore!

**banker23** · 11-02-2011, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by IronAddict

Awe, my Government!

They spend millions on stuff like this, while the real criminals go unpunished!

I will also ad, that ain't the only Y were you can buy the shiite!

The Y isn't just for fags anymore!

Who the f screws around with trying to buy from a guy at the gym anyways? Those people probably don't even know how to use the stuff, because if they did a little research they'd find way easier and safer ways to conduct themselves (and learn something about proper use at the same time).

**slow-90lx** · 11-02-2011, 02:37 PM

Look at all the guns! These guys must of been defending gang territory and shooting up the place! Wow thank god these people arent peddling their poison and terrorizing the streets!

**IronAddict** · 11-02-2011, 02:47 PM

Originally Posted by banker23

Who the f screws around with trying to buy from a guy at the gym anyways? Those people probably don't even know how to use the stuff, because if they did a little research they'd find way easier and safer ways to conduct themselves (and learn something about proper use at the same time).

There are some guy's at gyms that know their shit, I've met a few...It's not too difficult. My 1st endeavor was at the Y with a guy who worked out with me and seen the dedication I posed, so he hooked me up. At the time he was 42, and in the shape I aspired to be in.

My point, shit should be legal! Why should I have to order stuff from europe and have the possibilty of the stuff being confiscated, or worse having the feds show up at my house to arrest me. Who have I hurt, who have I displaced, who have I robbed. No one!

I am an adult, if I choose to not drink alchohol I don't buy it.

I've never in my life purchased a pack of ciggs, let me make that choice, I'm an adult.

**GMO** · 11-02-2011, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by djlance

That's what I thought! Too bad it will probably be all destroyed

No...the local law enforcement will just be jacked.

**~RaZr~** · 11-02-2011, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by GMO

No...the local law enforcement will just be jacked.

Well of course. I'm sure a bag or two went missing. Isn't "sauce" legal in the UK/Britain?

**cg89** · 11-02-2011, 05:36 PM

Raws connect maybe? just a guess

**irish_2003** · 11-02-2011, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by cg89

Raws connect maybe? just a guess

no....not even close......

**ShawnH** · 11-02-2011, 07:42 PM

This is a waste of two years for the police, why don't they go bust some meth labs or chop shops and shit instead of bothering some people who just wanna get swole?

Why do they act like guns are illegal? I hate that shit, just cause someone has guns doesn't mean they are doing anything bad with them.

**lsutops** · 11-02-2011, 10:49 PM

wow, what a waste of taxpayer money... looks like the local LE got some free gear for their armory...

**Theclap** · 11-02-2011, 11:00 PM

I would def take a few bags of those if I was in on that bust haha, be set for like 2 years.

**blutarsky** · 11-03-2011, 02:16 AM

Cops seized aas worth $600k and guns and ammos worth like $650k, lol! I mean come on!

**Deity** · 11-03-2011, 03:22 AM

Hilarious how they continue to act like a bunch of super heroes for busting people dealing a controlled substance that is so much safer than most of the shit that isn't regulated.

**TriumphTt600** · 11-03-2011, 05:46 AM

Once again a lot of our tax money wasted for a couple of cops lifting weights at a local YMCA for years so they can take a needle out of the hay stack. In the big picture they did nothing but take a couple of people out of the gym and everyone knows the cops got free gear out of it.

**banker23** · 11-03-2011, 07:26 AM

Originally Posted by GMO

No...the local law enforcement will just be jacked.

Actually alot of them are already jacked from using! the SWAT guys especially:

Illegal Steroid Use Among Police Officers 'a Big Problem'

the hypocrisy would be laughable if decent people weren't forced to pay a heavy price.

**World-Pharma.org** · 11-03-2011, 01:57 PM

so still no news what brand is it?

**Ezskanken** · 11-03-2011, 05:06 PM

Yes I agree with all of the above. What a waste of 2 years for those cops. Why not invest those 2 years checking out where all the fertilizer and shit are going instead of spending time in a YMCA. Bust those meth making fucks that make this country ugly...
But damn, dat was a lot of candy!

**gamma** · 11-03-2011, 06:03 PM

What a lucky cop who got to work undercover, get paid to work out every day , use gear and is probably in better shape now then when he was before the job. The funniest part he mostly got a promotion plus more rank .....

**anxious1** · 11-04-2011, 07:37 AM

Looks like a lot of candy!!!!

**testboner** · 11-10-2011, 04:31 PM

The main guy in this was Ronus (Ronald Herbort) who owned the former E-steroids board. He sourced as Trojanman.

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