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Saturday, August 09, 2003

High-speed chase leads to arrest

By Jason Probst


Police arrested a man Tuesday after a high-speed chase through East Roseville.

Officers took Jeffrey Scott Stuard of Roseville into custody on six charges, including transportation and possession of drugs, evading police and multiple counts of hit-and-run.

Prior to the chase, the suspect was identified by the county’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) to be in transport of a large amount of illegal steroids and police were dispatched to assist them in stopping Stuard.

The vehicle Stuard was driving collided with four other vehicles in heavy traffic, reaching speeds up to 80 mph, before crashing into a power transfer box near the intersection of Lead Hill Drive and North Sunrise. SIU officers recovered an estimated $10,000 of suspected steroids from the vehicle.

Stuard apparently intentionally collided with two vehicles, as well as two accidental collisions to elude officers during the chase, according to law enforcement officials. One motorist sustained minor injuries. No one else was injured during the chase.

Suspects Ernest Harrison, 42, of Folsom, was arrested Tuesday and Richie Mishal, 38, of El Dorado Hills, the following day, after a two-year investigation by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Law enforcement officials said they saw Harrison hand a white bag later found to contain hundreds of steroid vials to Stuard in the parking lot of US Nutrition in the Sacramento area. Stuard then drove to Roseville and was apprehended by police after the pursuit.

Harrison was charged with possession of a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy, and according to Jeff Cameron, SIU commander, was linked with Stuard during an investigation into steroid trafficking.

“We began an investigation regarding the steroid distribution activities of Stuart and other individuals in the Sacramento County area who were suspected of being distributors of injectible steroids,” Cameron said. “Through the course of our investigation we were able to determine that Stuard and Harrison were conspiring to distribute steroids, and many surveillances were documented that put those two together.”

Mishal is suspected of employing Harrison to coordinate covert sales of steroids, according to prosecutors, and has amassed considerable wealth from the criminal conspiracy, according to the complaint filed against him.

His wealth and extensive family ties in Jordan, with the possibility of flight to that country, led to the $1 million bail.

Superior Court Judge Frances Kearney took under submission a request by defense attorneys for the men to reduce the amount to $500,000.

Cameron says that the investigation into local steroid trafficking is ongoing but that progress is being made as officers link the persons involved.

“From our investigation, we were able to surmise that a transaction had occurred between (the suspects). Steroid trafficking has been around forever. It’s a very closed society and there are not a whole lot of people who are involved in the use of steroids. It is a huge business. But this investigation is ongoing, and we anticipate further arrests.