A great article

[zidane9979]

Well its by me so I know its great... lol , but its a good topic so


Applied Pharmacy, a Modern Day Witch Hunt
Posted by Dr. S on May 22nd, 2009 and filed under Anabolic Steroids in the Media, Steroid Editorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry from your site

If you ask the average citizen, they would say we live in the land of the free. And, regarding freedom, we have clearly become more so over the past 50 years (with, perhaps, a nod to the Bush-era infractions); issues like institutional racism, sexism, etc… are less prominent than ever before (though they’re still an issue). We, average citizens, profess to believe in the idea that we are innocent until proven guilty.

But even in this enlightened age, the Applied Pharmacy steroid case seems to contradict that last statement.

Applied Pharmacy was registered in the state of Alabama, was fully licensed & accredited, and most importantly, operating a legal business The mainstay of this business was compounding different types of testosterone for Hormone Replacement Therapy, based on prescriptions that were issued by licensed physicians. They also compounded Suboxone, a new drug that is used for for the treatment of mild to severe opiate dependency, and also used for pain management; it is also drug that can make you sick if an opiate enters your system.

In 2006 Applied Pharmacy, and a few similar Pharmacies were raided by DEA agents. The agents charged into Applied Pharmacy (once again, a legal business) with guns drawn as if they were raiding Tony Montana himself. I know the agents need to err on the side of caution to protect themselves, but in this case against what? Hard working honest citizens? Pharmacists/arms dealers? If the pharmacy were not on the up and up, then they should have never received licensing from the state - licensing they maintained even throughout the DEA’s actions.

In the process of the raid, guns were pointed a pregnant Pharmacy Tech, and several elderly people, according to eye witness accounts - hardly actions that could be attributed to federal agents behaving appropriately, or in mere protection of themselves.

In the ensuing mess, there were 12 indictments and 198 charges, with the primary charge being Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. This would be reasonable if they were doing so without a prescription, but this was not the case, prescriptions and lab work was involved. The explanation they received was that , they should have known the intent of the Doctors, and known the prescriptions were not for a reasonable medical use. When did a pharmacist’s powers become able to superseded that of a physician’s?

This looks like a witch hunt.

I found out through a reliable source that one of the men working the case, Inspector Eddie Braden, had a pre-existing personal issue with the owner of Applied Pharmacy, and because of this, began to harass them at every opportunity (allegedly). It is also speculated, through an inside source speaking on the condition of anonymity, that this very same person was in contact with the patent holder for Suboxone, which happens to be the only version that is allowed for the use of addiction. Something doesn’t seem right here…
Amazingly, plea agreements were being offered before formal charges were brought up. Land of the free, huh? Innocent until proven guilty, right?

If the evidence was so damning, then why was the prosecution required to go before the Grand Jury several times before the investigators were able to cajole formal charges out of this mess? They even went as far as to send target letters to ex-employees.

Now these pharmacists can’t find jobs, nor if found not guilty, is the Government required to give them back the money they lost defending themselves this matter - or the community’s respect they lost in the process.

The protection we are afforded against this kind of injustice is almost nil. Why, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, do we allow this kind of injustice? Is it simply because some higher power wants his name in the paper or because some state employee wants a big pay day? Almost 3 years later most of these ex-Applied-Pharmacy-employees are unable to find work and struggle to support themselves, even with the aid of the owners , who have done all they can to help.

There is nothing moral or right about any of this, and my heart goes out to them all. I urge them to stay strong and the truth will prevail - we’ve already seen Albany D.A. David Soares have his (similar) case against Signature Pharmacy dismissed before trial. But the government is allowed to drag people like this through the wringer, with nothing to lose - there have been no convictions, yet most of the people involved have already lost everything.

If you would like further information or can be of help to these men and women, please contact me at drs@steroidslive.com .

[anthonyclark]

By Jeff McShan

HOUSTON—Dozens of Houston-area men and women were taken into custody Wednesday in what is likely the largest illegal steroids bust this part of Texas has ever seen.

Those arrested were fitness trainers, trainees and others, including employees of pain clinics in the area.

A prominent Houston firefighter was also taken into custody. His name is Brad Adrian Ascenzi, and in 2007, he was awarded the Medal of Valor after his heroics in battling a midrise fire on the East Loop.

Officers say Ascenzi has been charged with conspiracy to manufacture and deliver a controlled substance.

He's being held on $10,000 bond.

Officers dubbed the operation "Pharmacia de Juicy Phruit." They say the international investigation started in 2006 with an informant's tip in Fort Bend County.

The raids began before dawn with hundreds of law enforcement officers fanning across Harris and Fort Bend counties. By Wednesday evening they had arrested 73 suspects and are still searching for more.

"I feel like we have made a pretty big footprint here today and left a imprint that will be felt for sometime in Fort Bend County," said Tim Johnson, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

Investigators say the suspects were distributing anabolic steroids, human growth hormones, ecstasy, vicodin, xanax, codeine syrup and Viagra.

"The steroids in some cases cause pain and other problems which the vicodin and Viagra is necessary to counteract," said Fort Bend County Sheriff Milton Wright.

Houston Firefighter Brad Adrian Ascenzi was awarded the Medal of Valor in 2007.Wright said they also confiscated 50 marijuana plants at one home.
The ringleader of the group was Charles Brook Faulkenhagen who operated a company in Sugar Land called Fitness Consultants, according to Johnson.
"Mr. Falkenhagen used Fitness Consultants to unlawfully import human growth hormone from a Chinese company," Johnson said.
If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 900 years in prison.
Wright called it a "loosely-knit organization" that operated out of gyms and fitness centers in Fort Bend and Harris counties.

"It's one of those things where they've got their friends on speed-dial. When they need a certain product, they know who to call," he said.
Dozens of suspects were arrested in the pre-dawn raid in Fort Bend and Harris counties.Wright said 45 the suspects face state charges and 17 face federal charges ranging from manufacturing to selling, possessing and distributing illegal drugs.

One suspect was arrested inside a 5000 square-foot home in Sugar Land.

The suspects were taken to a staging area at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds. They were processed then taken to jail.

At least some of the steroids were being manufactured in the Heights, according to authorities.

Officials say simultaneous arrests took place in Dallas, California and Georgia.

The suspects included professional bodybuilders, gym owners and personal trainers.

The investigation and operation is being led by the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Sheriff Wright called it the largest narcotics bust in his county's history.

"A lot of people don't think there's much danger in the steroids, but there's a lot of broken families, broken homes, people hurt that are caused by illegal use of steroids we never know about because of the many side effects...," Wright said."

11 NEWS EXCLUSIVE

The suspects were arrested following a three-year investigation.

"There are endless examples of tragedies caused by steroid and prescription drug abuse," said Zoran Yankovich with the DEA. "Those arrests today are no different than traditional drug dealers peddling their poison -- methamphetamines and cocaine and heroin -- on the street corner."

"You don't really know what you are buying," said Tommy Hennesy with the Food and Drug Administration. "You have an expectation, but you don't know that it is at the potency that you expect, plus it is being manufactured -- and I use this word loosely -- in a kitchen lab."

Officers from Houston, Pearland, Richmond, Rosenberg, the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the DEA, the U.S. Marshal's Office and several other area agencies joined in the raid.