Loyal gym goers were totally shocked early one morning in late February when DEA agents raided local Miami gym, Iron Addicts, in a steroid ring bust. The Federal agents stormed the gym and pushed aside gym goers, used sledgehammers to knock down walls in the second floor offices above the gym, and confiscated some of the gym equipment. Richard Rodriguez, part owner of Iron Addicts was arrested and charged with being the head of a $10 million international steroid production and distribution ring, run primarily out of the second story office on top of the popular Miami gym.
According to reports, Rodriguez and his wife, Nancy, are accused of running the nine-member steroid ring. They are suspected of being responsible for importing products from China, manufacturing steroids in an Arizona lab, and distributing them worldwide from a Miami P.O. Box. Some of the steroids were smuggled into Canada hidden in Muscle Milk boxes, and others were sent to Kuwait in stereo speakers. On the day of the Miami raid, all but one member of their steroid production and distribution ring were arrested.
Steriod Distribution and Money Laundering Charges Filed in New York
Federal agents were tipped off to the illegal sale of steroids through a company called Wellness Fitness Nutrition LLC, owned by Rodriguez, by investigative wire tapping, information from an informant who previously worked for Rodriguez, and the purchase of more than $300,000 worth of illicit steroids by undercover U.S. Federal agents. Rodriguez is also accused of laundering money through another company he owned called “The Real Nutrition.”.
Charges of steroid distribution and money laundering against Rodriguez and his team were filed in New York, due to the fact that at least 50 of his clients were in that state. Though he and the others involved in the ring were arrested in Miami and Arizona, they will be brought to New York to face trial or other court proceedings. According to one news source, Rodriguez had not obtained an attorney at the time of his arrest.
In the event that you are arrested on serious charges of money laundering or drug smuggling, it’s important to remember that an arrest does not equal a conviction. An experienced criminal attorney can help you determine your rights and navigate the court proceedings that follow an arrest. Contact an attorney immediately to ensure that your rights are not violated in the process of an arrest.
References:
Anderson, C. (2017, February 22). US Charges 10 in Steroid Ring Linked to Miami Gym Operator. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from US Charges 10 in Steroid Ring Linked to Miami Gym Operator
[email protected], A. (n.d.). Miami gym owner arrested on charges of selling $10 million in steroids from China. Retrieved March 07, 2017, from http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/crime/article134261519.html