Josh Bridgman arrested

[BuildABro]

Don't do it.

Right, but considering that is unlikely for most of us here, perhaps something more pragmatic?

 

[readalot]

Right, but considering that is unlikely for most of us here, perhaps something more pragmatic?

I'm all ears too LOL!

 

[narta]

False.

That does happen, with the other drugs and such, and it is a good way to get on the "radar," but the last sentence you wrote is completely and utterly false.

Please point me to an arrest that involved 2 vials or 50 pills ALONE with nothing else like drugs/guns/alcohol/domestic violence etc.

I 'll wait.

 

[Millard]

Please point me to an arrest that involved 2 vials or 50 pills ALONE with nothing else like drugs/guns/alcohol/domestic violence etc.

I 'll wait.

Ok. Two vials. Here ya go:

#1

Brent McCormick was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance (anabolic steroids) and two counts of possession of drug parphernalia. Steroid possession is a Class IV felony under state law in Nebraska. Apparently, one of McCormick’s community neighbors tipped off the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) regarding his use of muscle-building drugs.

Acting on the tip, WCSO deputies conducted a trash pull on McCormick’s residence according to WCSO Captain Rob Bellamy. The investigators discarded several discarded used syringes and needles and an empty vial of injectable Dragon Pharma Cypionat 250 (testosterone cypionate) in the trash bag. The discarded steroid vials were collected as evidence in support of a search warrant.

Washington County deputies executed the search warrant on the morning of March 8, 2017. They found McCormack at home and they also found a vial of Dragon Pharma Deca 300 (nandrolone decanoate) and a box containing several unused syringes.


Source:

Ellis, L. (March 13, 2017). Deputies: Arlington man charged with possessing steroids. Retrieved from Deputies: Arlington man charged with possessing steroids - Washington County Enterprise

I've documented numerous other arrests for personal AAS possession over the years. Most were related to defendants bringing attention to themselves via traffic stops, domestic disturbances, involvement in law enforcement, and/or others bringing attention to them via snitching by dealers, girlfriends, colleagues, neighbors, etc:

#2

James O'Neal, the co-owner of Ameriflex Training & Nutrition Systems and Ameriflex Lifestyle System, was arrested for possession of anabolic steroids at the Burleson Recreation Center (BRiCk) on May 27, 2015. O'Neal faces second-degree felony charges of possession of a Penalty Group 3 controlled substance (anabolic steroids) of 28-200 grams.

Adam King, a spokesperson with the Johnson County Stop The Offender Program (STOP) Task Force, said that police discovered at least 153 grams of finished steroid product after O'Neal gave officers permission to search his home.

O'Neal's arrest is the result of a two-year investigation that began with the January 2010 arrest of a local man who operated an underground steroid manufacturing laboratory (UGL). The UGL operator snitched on several of his customers in search of leniency. Some of those customers allegedly included North Texas law enforcement officers and prison employees.

Source:

Washington, A. (June 5, 2015). Trainer arrested for steroids at BriCk. Retrieved from http://www.burlesonstar.net/news/ci_28256527

#3

Kevin Schindler, a 25-year old officer with the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) in California since March 2015, was caught in possession of anabolic steroids during a surprise visit to his residence by his fellow BPD officers. His colleagues were checking up on him in response to a neighbor who called in a disturbance of the peace report.

BPD officers showed up at Schindler’s house to investigate the peace disturbance at 5:24 pm on October 6, 2017. The officers determined that there was no basis for a disturbing the peace violation. However, the police observed evidence of other crimes in plain sight while they were at Schindler’s residence.

During the visit, Schindler was seen with a BPD “shotgun locking rack” and a department-owned shotgun in his possession. The shotgun locking rack is used by BPD to securely store firearms inside patrol vehicles. Schindler was not authorized to have either the rack or the shotgun in his possession. In other words, Schindler was in possession of stolen property that belonged to the City of Bakersfield.

BPD investigators didn’t stop with the stolen property. They also observed a vial of injectable testosterone at Schindler’s house. The investigators determined that Officer Schindler did not have a prescription and unlawfully possession the steroid vial.

Source:

Tarangioli, N. (November 3, 2017). District Attorney files misdemeanor charges against Bakersfield Police officer. Retrieved from DA files misdemeanor charges against BPD officer

#4

New York State Police pulled Michael Vazquez over after he was clocked exceeding the speed limit by 26 miles per hour. Vazquez was driving 81 miles per hour in a 55-mph zone. When the police officer checked Vazquez's driver's license, he discovered that Vazquez failed to respond to a court summons related to another traffic violation. This had resulted in a suspended license.

Things were looking pretty bad. But they got worse once officers conducted a search of his vehicle. It was then that they discovered three vials of injectable testosterone and multipe syringes and needles.

Vazquez faces charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance (anabolic steroids), criminal possession of steroid paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license and speeding.


Source:

Tonawanda News. (September 27, 2012). Man found with steroids. Retrieved from http://tonawanda-news.com/local/x708369886/Man-found-with-steroids

#5

Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) located and stopped Ilon Fernandez around 7:40 pm. The deputies smelled a “strong odor of alcohol” in the car and notices that the driver’s eyes were “watery, glassy [and] red”. In addition, an open alcoholic beverage was in plain sight.

When deputies searched the vehicle they found a Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun in the glove compartment, a bottle of Ketel One brand vodka in the trunk, and “3,000 milligrams of steroids” in the center console according to MCSO Deputy Ana Coello.

MCSO deputy Coello’s arrest report did not specify what type of steroids were in the car but it seems likely that is could have been an injectable solution. For example, a 10-milliliter vial of a steroid like testosterone dosed at 300 mg/ml would contain 3,000 mg of steroids.

Fernandez faces misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence. But the most serious charge involves the steroids found in the car. Fernandez faces a felony charge possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (anabolic steroids).

Source:

Goodhue, D. (January 7, 2019). Cops pulled him over for speeding. They found a gun, a bottle of vodka and steroids. Retrieved from miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article224027000.html

#6

26-year old Florida bodybuilder James Lanzaro was just released from jail and on his way home when police arrested him once again on anabolic steroid possession charges.

Lanzaro was first arrested for failing to appear in court regarding a traffic ticket or other moving violation on July 1, 2018. He spent the night in the Marin County Jail. He was released the very next day.

Lanzaro called and asked his friend to come pick him up. He even told the friend that he could borrow his car. Unfortunately, Lanzaro seemed to have forgotten that his car was full of steroids. Lanzaro left some Dianabol (methandienone), Anadrol (oxymetholone), Anavar (oxandrolone) and six other ancillary bodybuilding drugs in his vehicle for some unknown reason.

The friend showed up at the jail as promised in Lanzaro’s car. The friend picked up Lanzaro and started to drive away from the jail. But before he could exit the Martin County Jail Complex, a Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) deputy stopped him for not wearing a seatbelt. The deputy soon discovered the stash of steroids and related drugs.

The friend told the police that the car did not belong to him. The friend insisted that he had no idea that the car was full of illegal muscle-building drugs. Lanzaro corroborated his friend’s story and admitted that the steroids and syringes belonged to him.

Lanzaro was taken into custody once again and charged with ten counts of possessing controlled substances. MCSO identified at least three different steroids – Dianabol, Anadrol and Anavar – along with seven other drugs. Lanzaro did not have a prescription for any of them.

Lanzaro spent at least one more night in jail. His bail was set at $101,000.


Source:

Marino, S. (July 3, 2018). Port St. Lucie man charged with having steroids without prescriptions just after leaving jail. Retrieved from tcpalm.com/story/news/crime/martin-county/2018/07/03/port-st-lucie-man-accused-having-steroids-without-prescription/755497002/

#7

Former Centerton Police Detective Colby Miser pleaded guilty to Class A misdemeanor possession of a schedule III controlled substance (anabolic steroids) on February 11, 2016.

Miser was already fired from his job as a police detective for the Centerton Police Department. Back on September 18, 2015, Miser suffered a seizure while working out at the CrossFit Reverence Gym in Rogers. Centerton Police Chief Cody Harper decided to pick up Miser's patrol vehicle while Miser was hospitalized. Chief Harper found a bottle containing 18 tablets of a suspected oral anabolic steroid stashed inside the CPD patrol car assigned to him. On Octboer 20, 2015, Chief Harper immediately Miser upon receiving confirmation from the Arkansas State Crime Lab that the pills contained stanozolol.

Source:

Sitek, Z. (February 12, 2016). Former Centerton Officer Pleads Guilty To Steroid Possession, Now Faces DWI Charge. Retrieved from Former Centerton Officer Pleads Guilty To Steroid Possession, Now Faces DWI Charge

#8

Shane Benningfield, a former deputy with the Benton County Sheriff's Office in Washington, has pleaded not guilty to one charge of possession of a controlled substance (anabolic steroids). The former deputy's trial is scheduled to begin in Benton County Superior Court of February 9, 2015.

Benningfield's fall from grace as a sheriff's deputy began when his ex-girlfriend file a citiizen's complaint and restraining order against him on April 24, 2014. She claimed that he threatened to have her killed if she reported his steroid use.

Benton County Deputy Prosecutor Terry Bloor has filed the court case on the single charge of possession of a controlled substance. However, the judge and/or jurors have been given the option to determine which illegal drug Benningfield must defend himself against. They will have the option to choose from the various controlled substances allegedly seized at the former deputy's residence. These include five different testosterone compounds, various unspecified steroids and the pain medication oxycodone (brand name Oxycontin).

The trial begins on February 9, 2014 unless Benningfield and prosecutors arrive at a plea agreement prior to date.

Source:

Kraemer, K. (December 5, 2014). Trial set for former Benton County sheriff’s deputy accused of using steroids. Retrieved from http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2014/12/05/3297759/trial-set-for-former-benton-county.html

#9

In April 2013, John Eaton, a deputy officer with the Lee County Sheriff's Office, was arrested for steroid possession after his live-in girlfriend notified his bosses of his steroid use. The girlfriend provided a sworn statement detailing a physical altercation in which Eaton kicked her. She took pictures of the injuries along with a picture of a vial of testosterone enanthate next to his official sheriff's badge. Eaton was arrested after police searched his home and found three vials containing testosterone enanthate, one vial containing Deca Durabolin.

Source: Lee sheriff's deputy accused of steroids, marijuana possession

#10

In February 2014, Paul Berge, a veteran officer with the Kankakee Police Department (KPD), was suspended after his girlfriend allegedly tipped off police to his steroid use. Ironically, Berge was employed on the frontline in the country's war on drugs; he was a K-9 officers assigned to the Kankakee Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (KAMEG). KAMEG works in coordination with federal agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Division of Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-DHS). It's hard to know what upset Berge the most – the fact that his girlfriend turned him in or that the country's war on drugs ended up biting him in the ass.

Source: Drug enforcement cop suspended for illegal steroids

There are several more cases. I will post them when I have time.

 

[BuildABro]

I think most of us here accept the fact that what we are doing is illegal, and have made peace with this and accepted the associated risks. Since I dare say most of us ane unwilling to call it quits, it seems the best thing we can do is limit risk.

As @Millard ’s examples largely show, most of the people who are caught with gear are caught because their behavior draws the attention of law enforcement on unrelated matters. This is not unlike how conventional narcotics users find themselves in custody. Heroin addicts steal everything they is not nailed down to feed their habit. Meth junkies often act like raving lunatics in public. Cops tend to take notice of this type of thing.

So it seems to me the best way to mitigate risk is to simply not break the law by engaging in behavior that will land the sheriff at your door for matters entirely unrelated to steroid use. Provided you live your life as an otherwise law abiding citizen, I would place the overall risk of arrest to be extraordinarily low.

 

[iris]

most of the people who are caught with gear are caught because their behavior draws the attention of law enforcement on unrelated matters

I saw your message here and I think this is it, really.
The "drawing attention" bit is what makes the difference.

Technically, the question that was asked above, with the "alone with nothing else" kind of still stands.
Meaning, there were other issues/scenarios that called attention to the individual and so the arrest. They weren't chased for possession of aas, per se. That just arose, incidentally.
Not sure if the question was meant that way, strictly speaking, but that's how I am reading it in light of the examples that were posted.

(Not sure whether "a car full of steroids" and "various unspecified steroids and oxycodone" can be considered personal possession).

 

[narta]

Ok. Two vials. Here ya go:

#1

I've documented numerous other arrests for personal AAS possession over the years. Most were related to defendants bringing attention to themselves via traffic stops, domestic disturbances, involvement in law enforcement, and/or others bringing attention to them via snitching by dealers, girlfriends, colleagues, neighbors, etc:

#2


#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

There are several more cases. I will post them when I have time.

As you stated with the exemption of #1, all other cases have guns/hard drugs/domestic violence etc attached to them.

Millions use steroids in the USA, hundreds get caught because they attract unwanted attention to them and there is the rare occasions of 5 dozens that are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Realistically, you are more likely to be charged for hard drugs/weed than steroids.

 

[malfeasance]

Please point me to an arrest that involved 2 vials or 50 pills ALONE with nothing else like drugs/guns/alcohol/domestic violence etc.

I 'll wait.

As you stated with the exemption of #1, all other cases have guns/hard drugs/domestic violence etc attached to them.

Millions use steroids in the USA, hundreds get caught because they attract unwanted attention to them and there is the rare occasions of 5 dozens that are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Realistically, you are more likely to be charged for hard drugs/weed than steroids.

You are 100% correct that you are more likely to get charged for hard drugs/weed than steroids.

But your initial claim was that steroids by themselves "do not mean dick squat to the cops," and that is just not true. I can only guess that you do not know many cops.

And I could point you to such cases, but I have to rely upon news stories and such to "point you" to them. I have posted many here over the years, but most of these types of cases simply do not make the news. Why would they? Arrests have to be newsworthy. Very few arrests of any kind make the news.

It is also not true that one must be in "guns/hard drugs/domestic violence" to be arrested for steroids.

OBVIOUSLY, engaging in other criminal conduct dramatically increases your odds of being charged with unrelated criminal conduct. That is one of those "duh" sorts of observations. But the cases are not limited to those.

If you review Millard's first example, these cops, for whom you claim steroids do not mean dick squat, devoted resources to search through this guy's trash on nothing but a neighbor's tip that he used steroids. They used the trash search to get a warrant, the execution of which turned up one vial of Deca.

One

vial

of

Deca

And they arrested him and charged him with a felony.

Frankly, when folks claim cops do not care about these felonies, I realize that the folks making the claim are just ignorant.

You spend time on here discussing this shit openly and, Touchdown! and photos and delivery times and pretty soon you forget that you are discussing felonies.

There are others who have been arrested because customs or postal inspectors catch deliveries in the mail. It is simply a numbers game. They catch this stuff. Mostly, they don't. Some small percentage get caught. If you keep buying lottery tickets, though, sooner or later you may win 350 bucks or something. Same deal here. Some percentage get caught. It happens.

Millard pointed out traffic stops, and I am aware of one guy in my little town who was charged with a felony for one vial of testosterone

one

vial

of

testosterone

after it was found during a search at a traffic stop. It made the local news, too, but it's a small town without a lot of crime on which to report. Tell me more about how steroids, to those cops, do not mean dick squat.

As I posted above, I personally know of many, many more. No news stories or other BS to provide for hyperlinks for you to go read on the internet. Just another small time drug case with no news reporting. It happens all the time and has been for decades, every since steroids were scheduled.

I know police officers who have used steroids.

I know about steroid possession arrests.

Both things can be true at the same time.

 

[malfeasance]

And even when they catch it at customs or the postal inspectors, it does not always result in arrest.

But sometimes it does.

That is my only point.

You can continue to cross your arms and shake your head and say, "No it doesn't," but when we are talking about things I know about personally, what can I do but chuckle and walk away?

 

[malfeasance]

So what would be your suggestion for someone looking to add additional layers of personal protection for ordering gear online?

Mostly common sense. You already observed, don't drive around with it in your car. There is less protection against searches in your car than in your home.

Read up on the Fourth Amendment. Familiarize yourself with the cases about the Fourth Amendment, particularly drug cases (it is the same law that will be used for steroids). See how officers develop probable cause. What factors are convincing to a judge?

Postal service or customs - If you get a letter, duh, don't respond. It might be a good idea to make sure your house is "clean" for a while (better safe than sorry). If postal service decides to talk to you, then:

Don't talk. <-- that one is tougher for most people in real life than on the internet. Everybody thinks they can talk their way out of something. Don't talk. Don't be a smartass. Don't be rude. Don't be helpful. Just shut up. Don't answer questions.

Remember, the postal service, if they are talking to you, probably have not yet gotten a warrant or opened the box. They also do not know what is inside. They are not investigating steroids! If the box is unopened, then they likely assume it is some sort of other drug (especially if a dog hit on it - dogs are not trained to hit on steroids). So don't assume that your physique automatically gave away the whole story without words. They may do a controlled delivery, or they may decide to interview you instead. They will have more evidence than you realize (everything is tracked by USPS these days, and a computer will spit out similar transactions for them). Best to not say anything at all. Then hire a criminal defense lawyer. A clean house is helpful in this circumstance, as well.

Talking will land you in jail. Period. Don't do it. They are talking to you to develop probable cause, not because they are bored and really want some interesting conversation.

They will tell you that they are not interested in you, that they only want to get the dealer, etc. (like you have any idea who the dealer is, LOL), but do not respond. Tell them you want to speak to an attorney. That will probably terminate the interview (it is supposed to, but they always ask two or three more things to try to get you to cooperate and talk again).

Don't be open about your use. No, everybody does not "know" you are using, Samson Dauda. To the folks who do know about your use, don't piss them off. See the neighbor case above in Millard's post. See the domestic case above. Piss off the wife/girlfriend badly enough, and you don't think she will try to harm you by using this information against you? Ha! Only somebody who has never been through a divorce or has never seen somebody close up go through one would think that.

Just avoid letting that information get to where it needs to be to generate suspicion about your possession of a substance that implicates you in a felony.

 

[narta]

You are 100% correct that you are more likely to get charged for hard drugs/weed than steroids.

But your initial claim was that steroids by themselves "do not mean dick squat to the cops," and that is just not true. I can only guess that you do not know many cops.

And I could point you to such cases, but I have to rely upon news stories and such to "point you" to them. I have posted many here over the years, but most of these types of cases simply do not make the news. Why would they? Arrests have to be newsworthy. Very few arrests of any kind make the news.

It is also not true that one must be in "guns/hard drugs/domestic violence" to be arrested for steroids.

OBVIOUSLY, engaging in other criminal conduct dramatically increases your odds of being charged with unrelated criminal conduct. That is one of those "duh" sorts of observations. But the cases are not limited to those.

If you review Millard's first example, these cops, for whom you claim steroids do not mean dick squat, devoted resources to search through this guy's trash on nothing but a neighbor's tip that he used steroids. They used the trash search to get a warrant, the execution of which turned up one vial of Deca.

One

vial

of

Deca

And they arrested him and charged him with a felony.

Frankly, when folks claim cops do not care about these felonies, I realize that the folks making the claim are just ignorant.

You spend time on here discussing this shit openly and, Touchdown! and photos and delivery times and pretty soon you forget that you are discussing felonies.

There are others who have been arrested because customs or postal inspectors catch deliveries in the mail. It is simply a numbers game. They catch this stuff. Mostly, they don't. Some small percentage get caught. If you keep buying lottery tickets, though, sooner or later you may win 350 bucks or something. Same deal here. Some percentage get caught. It happens.

Millard pointed out traffic stops, and I am aware of one guy in my little town who was charged with a felony for one vial of testosterone

one

vial

of

testosterone

after it was found during a search at a traffic stop. It made the local news, too, but it's a small town without a lot of crime on which to report. Tell me more about how steroids, to those cops, do not mean dick squat.

As I posted above, I personally know of many, many more. No news stories or other BS to provide for hyperlinks for you to go read on the internet. Just another small time drug case with no news reporting. It happens all the time and has been for decades, every since steroids were scheduled.

I know police officers who have used steroids.

I know about steroid possession arrests.

Both things can be true at the same time.

You are talking in absolutes. Sure 1 is more than 0, but in the grand scheme of things 1 is dick squat in the 3.000 of cases (arbitrary numbers). Do people get poped for 2 blunts? Yes. How many of them get arrested vs how many just get a smack in the head and walk away? Pretty much everyone. Sure you get the local cop with the Judge Dread syndrome that will get an instant hard on when you jaywalk and he can play god. But as stated above the exception that proves the rule.

 

[malfeasance]

You can go talk openly with cops about your steroid possession that they do not care about if you want. Have at it.

I have had personal conversations with officers who have made multiple arrests for steroid possession (what??? I thought that this was so rare?) and it is not "Judge Dread syndrome" cracking down on jay walkers. It is instead, a well intentioned attitude of thinking that they are actually helping the person arrested by keeping him from harming himself.

And I assure you that the US Postal Inspectors care. They care a lot about contraband of any kind in the postal system.

 

[malfeasance]

PS - I also know officers who do not really care about it. But they are not going to stop the arrest from happening unless they can do so without risk to their career.

 

[malfeasance]

Do people get poped for 2 blunts? Yes. How many of them get arrested vs how many just get a smack in the head and walk away? Pretty much everyone.

This brings up too much for me to respond. A - around here folks get a lot of consequences related to two blunts. Sorry, this is dependent upon where you are. Marijuana enforcement has indeed grown less stringent, with it being a misdemeanor and in some places legal, no crime at all. But it gets your driver's license suspended here (no, I am not talking about DUI, just possession) along with probation and fines. This license suspension is mandatory. And this is for misdemeanor possession. If you have more than an ounce, it is a felony.

B- you are still comparing what is a misdemeanor or legal in all 50 states to something that is a felony in most states.

 

[malfeasance]

And I will stop now.

I am not trying to win the internet.

I just want folks to realize that this endeavor is not risk free. Arrests are rare, but they do happen. Don't pretend that there is no legal risk (in the US, obviously).

 

[readalot]

win the internet

You did whether you like my perceived fawning or not. Doesn't matter.