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Getbig Main Boards => Gossip & Opinions => Topic started by: Ron on December 22, 2005, 09:35:05 AM
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Drug Enforcement Administration steroid crackdown hits home
BY MICHAEL O' KEEFFE
New York Daily News
NEW YORK - Shortly after Don Hooton appeared on ``60 Minutes'' last year to talk about his son Taylor, who killed himself after suffering from depression linked to steroid use, the Plano, Texas, executive received a phone call from a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
The agent said he was saddened and outraged by the CBS report and vowed to do something about the drugs Hooton believed caused the high school baseball star's death.
``He told me people care and they're doing something about it,'' Hooton says. ``And damn if he wasn't true to his word.''
Last week, 20 months after that phone call, the agent invited Hooton to a DEA press conference to announce what federal authorities are calling the most significant illegal steroid bust in history. On Thursday, a federal grand jury in San Diego indicted 23 people and eight Mexican companies the DEA says sell $56 million worth of steroids to U.S. consumers annually.
DEA spokesman Misha Piastro says Operation Gear Grinder, the 21-month investigation that led to the indictments, is important because it knocks some of the nation's biggest sources of illegal steroids out of business. Seventy steroid dealers were convicted during Operation Equine, an investigation conducted by the FBI in the early 1990s. As the New York Daily News reported earlier this year, the names of baseball players, including Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and others surfaced during that investigation, although the probe did not center on professional athletes.
Piastro says Operation Gear Grinder hasn't resulted in as many indictments or arrests, but it's important because the eight companies targeted are the source for most of the steroids seized in recent years by the DEA.
``That is taking it right to the source,'' Piastro says.
The eight companies used the Internet to reach consumers in the United States, and investigators say they have identified more than 2,000 customers in this country. The DEA doesn't have background information about the customers yet, Piastro says, but the agency expects a large percentage will turn out to be athletes or bodybuilders.
Operation Gear Grinder is also notable because large-scale steroid probes are rare. Steroid experts say that's because under federal sentencing guidelines, authorities have to make huge seizures before they can put steroid dealers away for significant prison terms.
``You need 50 units of steroids to get the same penalty you get for one unit of heroin or cocaine,'' says Gary Wadler, a World Anti-Doping Agency adviser who called for stiffer penalties for steroid offences at a U.S. Sentencing Commission hearing in September.
``Prosecutors have a budget, and they have to figure out how to utilize their resources in the best way. This is not a surprise. Compared to steroids, heroin and cocaine give them more bang for their buck.''
Rick Collins, a Long Island defense attorney who specializes in steroid cases, says the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990 - the federal law that made steroids illegal - was sporadically enforced for years after its passage. Increased scrutiny of international packages after 9/11 prompted authorities to ramp up enforcement, but Collins says most defendants are small-timers who purchase steroids for cosmetic reasons.
``Most of the users I've represented have been mature adults who are otherwise law-abiding people using steroids for cosmetic reasons,'' he says.
The eight companies indicted under Operation Gear Grinder operated under the guise of veterinary medicine suppliers, but most of the products listed on company Web sites were anabolic steroids sold in doses fit only for humans. Customers could place orders by phone or e-mail, pay by wire transfers and have steroids smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border or shipped directly to them.
Five men are already in custody, including Alberto Saltiel-Cohen, a Mexico City veterinarian who owns three companies that manufacture and distribute steroids. One of those companies, Quality Vet, produced the steroid Plano police found in Taylor Hooton's bedroom shortly after his suicide.
``It was rather satisfying,'' Hooton says, ``to watch this man be arraigned in federal court.''
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"The eight companies used the Internet to reach consumers in the United States, and investigators say they have identified more than 2,000 customers in this country. The DEA doesn't have background information about the customers yet, Piastro says, but the agency expects a large percentage will turn out to be athletes or bodybuilders"
Athletes OR Bodybuilders... ha... that's just great...
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why is steroids so important to them, they should be out looking for murderers, rapist, or other criminals.
I still dont get why ppl get sentence all these years for doing rec drugs, but some ppl who murder folks get out sooner
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why is steroids so important to them, they should be out looking for murderers, rapist, or other criminals.
I still dont get why ppl get sentence all these years for doing rec drugs, but some ppl who murder folks get out sooner
Ask your public defender to explain it to you.
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why is steroids so important to them, they should be out looking for murderers, rapist, or other criminals.
Like Craig and Kelly for example?
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It knocks some companies out of business, but that only means two things:
1) New companies will rise and take their place
2) The bigger companies will continue business, unaffected, with the complicity of the federal government
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Ask your public defender to explain it to you.
you are not allowed to post on this site anymore.......your post mean absolutely nothing
So why respond to it?
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How can that father blame steroids for the loss of his son? WTF? Thats a sad deal but he should look alot deeper into what was going on with his kid for him to kill himself. Steroids are not to blame. ::)
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I can drive to the west side of Cleveland and see guys selling crack cocaine. How come the DEA is not on the west side arresting the dope boys?
I bet the DEA gets real pissed when they spend 3 yrs looing into someone and can get nothing more than a conspiracy charge :-*
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fuck those dea hypocrites! i know dea and other feds (SS, FBI, etc.) that juice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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f**k those dea hypocrites! i know dea and other feds (SS, FBI, etc.) that juice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know a few Cleveland police officers that juice AND sell dope
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;D
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what a wonderful use of the taxpayers money. ::)
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what a wonderful use of the taxpayers money. ::)
Vast right wing conspiracy ::)
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this is bullshit and pisses me off. you cant blame that klids suicide on steroids! the kid obviously had other issues!
Steroids make you feel great!
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The only people who defend steroids are people who use them.... They are not good for you. They are not "harmless" and they def have an effect on ones mind. This kid had issues. They where compounded by the drug use. If you wanna do juice that is fine. but don't bitch when you get popped.
As for the recreational drug thing. Every single person who is addicted to hard drugs starts out somewhere. Usually smoking weed. If you can smoke weed and be responsible about it then fine. But the vast majority of people move on to harder and harder drugs. They also see that getting high helps them escape from the reality of there life, and whatever problems they may have.
For all you little pot smoking hippies. Think about the relaxed recrational drug laws when some meth junkie is sawing your finger off high as a kite so they can hawk your ring for a 20 dollar hit. Check out the violent crime rates in states that have meth problems. Those people started somewhere. I grew up in the time period when Boston was having massive influxes of herion. All the kids who got into that shit started smoking weed. Then started doing perks. Moved from that to oc's. After that started shooting heroin into there arms. now most are dead, junkies or costing you money in jail.
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It knocks some companies out of business, but that only means two things:
1) New companies will rise and take their place
2) The bigger companies will continue business, unaffected, with the complicity of the federal government
...and when this hits the mainstream press...more people will want steroids. YAY!!!!
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this is bullshit and pisses me off. you cant blame that klids suicide on steroids! the kid obviously had other issues!
Steroids make you feel great!
steroids make ur muscle bigger no? but during my college i did see these fools take 100tabs of dbol as their first cycle and honestly believed
they're gonna be the next top athelete... hahahahahahahah so yea... i guess it does make u feel good lol
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steroids make ur muscle bigger no? but during my college i did see these fools take 100tabs of dbol as their first cycle and honestly believed
they're gonna be the next top athelete... hahahahahahahah so yea... i guess it does make u feel good lol
They eh...they didn't buy them from the southside did they? Little white tabs in a ziplock bag?
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For all you little pot smoking hippies. Think about the relaxed recrational drug laws when some meth junkie is sawing your finger off high as a kite so they can hawk your ring for a 20 dollar hit. Check out the violent crime rates in states that have meth problems. Those people started somewhere. I grew up in the time period when Boston was having massive influxes of herion. All the kids who got into that shit started smoking weed. Then started doing perks. Moved from that to oc's. After that started shooting heroin into there arms. now most are dead, junkies or costing you money in jail.
hahaha
I think too much reality has got you a little paranoid. You should try smoking a joint. :D
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How come we never here anyone complain that this kids parents never new he was using illegal drugs or they never saught help for his emotional instability? Oh wait I know, because it's not illegal to have zero acountability. ::)
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How come we never here anyone complain that this kids parents never new he was using illegal drugs or they never saught help for his emotional instability? Oh wait I know, because it's not illegal to have zero acountability. ::)
Fawk that little mark. He was nothing but a weak little skinny pu$$y!!!!
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...and when this hits the mainstream press...more people will want steroids. YAY!!!!
I want steroids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I want steroids!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You should use some,you might lose the Cartman look if you do.
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Even IF I believed that violating people's civil liberties like this was an acceptable thing to do (which I don't), here is a bit of information: THE WAR ON DRUGS DOESN'T FUCKING WORK. Seriously, how hard is it to get a clue?
Just reading this shit makes me want to hook everyone up with steroids.
Me to! Soon as this hits mainstream press...runs on the news a few times and gets talked about on different sports-radio shows...baddaboom baddabing! TheBlockHead gets a 'plethora' of text messages and/or calls...'Ay man it's so and so...wassup...cool...ay man do you have acess to this and that...cool...can u get it...cool...how much again...aight...when can I pick it up....cool...alright thanks man...I'll call you when Im on my way...cool...thanks, bro!'
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You should use some,you might lose the Cartman look if you do.
Awww, a little upset about my comments today, eh crybaby?
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rut roe shaggy, Goodbum better watch his arse...
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rut roe shaggy, Goodbum better watch his arse...
I don't sell steroids, what are you talking about???? The Magic Stick is IGF R3 and most of my other products fall outside of the law's definition of anabolic steroids.
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HAHA.
Am I glad i don't have to be looking over my shoulder. Wondering when the cops are coming.
Enjoy your temporary results guys, cause once in jail, you'll lose it all.
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I don't do steroids , never done steroids and could care less about people who want to do them , this bust is a joke , steroids when taken properly and cycled are more harmless that most prescirption drugs that are legal , it all goes back to the user , if you're a drug using debeat degenerate ala' Criag Titus you're going to do really dumb shit even if he never touched steroids , then you have people like Lee Labrada who used intelligently and he's just fine , it all goes back to the individual
This guys kid who killed himself " because ' of steroids is bullshit , there is already a high suicide rate among teens and they blammed steroids , if this kid never did steroids in all probability he would have been suicidal , and killed himself , steroids are being demonized for no good reason , crack down on fucking antidepressants because the teen suicide rate of kids who take them is proven , but is the D.E.A cracking down on the pusher/therapists and their Eli-Lily? no.... it really is a joke
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This guys kid who killed himself " because ' of steroids is bullshit , there is already a high suicide rate among teens and they blammed steroids , if this kid never did steroids in all probability he would have been suicidal , and killed himself , steroids are being demonized for no good reason , crack down on fucking antidepressants because the teen suicide rate of kids who take them is proven , but is the D.E.A cracking down on the pusher/therapists and their Eli-Lily? no.... it really is a joke
I hear ya. Total bullshit.
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This is really old news if im not mistakened.
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They'll stop at nothing to prevent Barry Bonds from getting to 756.
Special "Hanky Panky" Ed
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They eh...they didn't buy them from the southside did they? Little white tabs in a ziplock bag?
lol no i dont think so.
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Don Hooten is the worlds biggest scumbag.He is a bold faced liar,who once stated on tv that steroids did not cause his sons suicide,but later,when he had a chance to become famous,then changed his story.This little punk,took 1 million dollars from MLB to help his cause,getting rich of his sons death.Is there a more disgusting thing in the world?Then he had the nads to get in front of congress and call pro athletes cowards when,in fact,its his son who was the coward and took the easy way out.This guy is a disgrace and one of the biggest deuche bags in this country.Go to his web site and read some of the lies on it.Typical example of someone who knows NOTHING about steroids being elevated to expert by the equally ignorant media and government.
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The only people who defend steroids are people who use them.... They are not good for you. They are not "harmless" and they def have an effect on ones mind. This kid had issues. They where compounded by the drug use. If you wanna do juice that is fine. but don't bitch when you get popped.
As for the recreational drug thing. Every single person who is addicted to hard drugs starts out somewhere. Usually smoking weed. If you can smoke weed and be responsible about it then fine. But the vast majority of people move on to harder and harder drugs. They also see that getting high helps them escape from the reality of there life, and whatever problems they may have.
For all you little pot smoking hippies. Think about the relaxed recrational drug laws when some meth junkie is sawing your finger off high as a kite so they can hawk your ring for a 20 dollar hit. Check out the violent crime rates in states that have meth problems. Those people started somewhere. I grew up in the time period when Boston was having massive influxes of herion. All the kids who got into that shit started smoking weed. Then started doing perks. Moved from that to oc's. After that started shooting heroin into there arms. now most are dead, junkies or costing you money in jail.
Apparently you aren't a bodybuilding fan, because if you were you would know that without them, the sport would be nowhere. And if they go, so does the sport, nobody gives three fucks about natural bodybuilders.
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The only people who defend steroids are people who use them.... They are not good for you. They are not "harmless" and they def have an effect on ones mind. This kid had issues. They where compounded by the drug use. If you wanna do juice that is fine. but don't bitch when you get popped.
As for the recreational drug thing. Every single person who is addicted to hard drugs starts out somewhere. Usually smoking weed. If you can smoke weed and be responsible about it then fine. But the vast majority of people move on to harder and harder drugs. They also see that getting high helps them escape from the reality of there life, and whatever problems they may have.
For all you little pot smoking hippies. Think about the relaxed recrational drug laws when some meth junkie is sawing your finger off high as a kite so they can hawk your ring for a 20 dollar hit. Check out the violent crime rates in states that have meth problems. Those people started somewhere. I grew up in the time period when Boston was having massive influxes of herion. All the kids who got into that shit started smoking weed. Then started doing perks. Moved from that to oc's. After that started shooting heroin into there arms. now most are dead, junkies or costing you money in jail.
Hi President Bush
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This Don Hooten guys is a typical parent that can't accept they did a bad job. If he had provided enough individualized love and attention to his son during the crucial years between 1 and 12, his son would not have looked to fill up the void in his heart with muscles or drugs. Hootens guilt must be so painful that he needed to blame it on someone or something else. His shame from the realization he was a neglectful and in my book abusive father led him on a crusade to prove that steroids killed his son and not his neglect.
Its simple, no matter how rich or successful you are, if you neglect your children by leaving them alone and not taking a true interest in their life and who the truly are on the inside they will certainly grow up with a large hole in their heart. Most will look to some kind of substance to fill it. They will eventually abuse the substance because it will never fill the hole. And then their dead. Its not brain surgery here. Just pay attention to your kids.
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He's recieved millions with this "foundation" even though his wife and daughter have tried to commit suicide, I'm not really seeing the drug link
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He's recieved millions with this "foundation" even though his wife and daughter have tried to commit suicide, I'm not really seeing the drug link
There is some serious disfunction in that family and it has nothing to do with drugs.
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Alcohol, Cocaine, and other types of Illegal sustances kill Americans every freaking year, and the numbers are staggering. Why in the world they think that Steroids belong to the group of illegal drugs that are destroying these people ::). How many times somebody OD's on steroids, How many times somebody becomes violent and start killing people because of steroid uses. The DEA should have better things to do with their not so valuable time
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and further
hooten and the dea were so over joyed at their great moral crusade that they all went to a bar and knocked back some cold ones, seemingly oblivious to the FACT that, unlike steroids, alcohol actually IS a depressant and kills millions of people every year, directly causes anti social behaviour and degradation and destroys more lives than ANY other drug in the world.
ignorance is bliss in the good ol usa.
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http://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/hooton_interview.html
Unbeilievable propaganda
http://www.taylorhooton.org/site/DocServer/Sports_Illustrated_062006.pdf?docID=221
Article blames gym culture. Then the funny thing is the doctors dont' even say is heart damage was definitveily caused by steroids. How can they not know what caused it?
http://www.taylorhooton.org/site/PageServer --
Write here and tell them how you feel. Steroids is not the problem in society. Its bad parenting, alcohol and other drugs.
info@taylorhooton.org
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All drugs have side-effects. I doubt you'll find any doctor to disagree with that statement.
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http://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/hooton_interview.html
Cunningham says. He used the drugs in 90-day cycles for two years but stopped cold after he was hospitalized with a sports hernia. He'd been doing 225-pound shoulder-shrug lifts while amped up on juice and had ripped the lining of his stomach.
lol....that tiny tits was a weak ass nerd to begin with. fOR A 6' FOOT TALL 201LBS ATHLETE, you don't need steroid to shrug 225lbs. c'mon
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they pick on steroids because it's easier to target people that are not as cop savy as other drug users. easier pinch.
thing is, all it does is make these people cop savy and thus criminals.
you might think it's amazing how a nation with so many resources like america can be so arrogant and stupid that they make the same mistakes again and again eg. prohibition (alcohol - organised crime), bullying (vietnam, iraq) and get their asses kicked every single time.
it's not so amazing when you understand the real reason is that the power brokers in this country are megalomaniacs that have a pathological need to control people.
think of that kid that was always whinging about getting his own way. in other countries they call that kid spoilt and slap that shit out of 'em. in america they glorify him and make him a leader.
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This Don Hooten guys is a typical parent that can't accept they did a bad job. If he had provided enough individualized love and attention to his son during the crucial years between 1 and 12, his son would not have looked to fill up the void in his heart with muscles or drugs. Hootens guilt must be so painful that he needed to blame it on someone or something else. His shame from the realization he was a neglectful and in my book abusive father led him on a crusade to prove that steroids killed his son and not his neglect.
Its simple, no matter how rich or successful you are, if you neglect your children by leaving them alone and not taking a true interest in their life and who the truly are on the inside they will certainly grow up with a large hole in their heart. Most will look to some kind of substance to fill it. They will eventually abuse the substance because it will never fill the hole. And then their dead. Its not brain surgery here. Just pay attention to your kids.
Great post!! Very true words!
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...the agency expects a large percentage will turn out to be athletes or bodybuilders.
Owned.
>:(
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Drug Enforcement Administration steroid crackdown hits home
BY MICHAEL O' KEEFFE
New York Daily News
Ronald,
What is your take on all of this? ???
DIV