CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The five men sentenced in a steroid distribution scheme earlier this week won’t face any jail time, but Bill Ihlenfeld, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia, said it’ll make coaches and business owners think twice before employing any of these men in athletics.
“We could have pushed hard for felony convictions and could have pushed hard for prison time,” Ihlenfield said during the MetroNews-affiliated “The Mike Queen Show” on the AJR News Network. “But when you do the federal sentencing guidelines calculation, at least four out of the five probably would have been probation eligible anyhow–even if they had been convicted of a felony.”
Carl R. Benedict, 50, Anthony F. DiDomenico, III, 29, both of Morgantown, Richard J. Pinelli, Jr., 28, of Mifflintown, Pennsylvania, Joseph B. Greco, 27, of New Castle, Pennsylvania, and Derek S. Starn, 34, of Bridgeport, each pleaded guilty to a criminal Information charging them with one count of Possession of a Schedule III Controlled Substance “Testosterone.”
They were each sentenced to probation for a period of six months.
“They do have something no their record in case any of them have contact with young people in the future either as a coach or a trainer or running a gym or anything like that,” he said. “I think it’s important that that be on their record, so that if anyone were to look into them they could see they were involved in some type of illegal activity.”
Ihlenfeld said they found their first link to the scheme when Customs discovered a suspicious package from China, eventually prompting an investigation.
“These substances, if they’re not used or taken under doctor’s orders and doctor’s care, can be dangerous,” Ihlenfeld said. “There are serious side effects to them.”
Some of the side effects can include high blood pressure, insomnia, and acne. Steroid use can also lead to cataracts or glaucoma.
The United States Postal Service, the FDA, the Mon Metro Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the DEA investigated.