Operation Cyber Juice - First Guilty Plea from UGL Based in Broome County

[bdsupplements]

Possible to expound upon legal risks for buyers? What happened once the entire customer database was exposed? Was any opsec care ever taken?

This is a great question. Not a single client was even investigated. No member of any law enforcement even asked about any clients. It was quite apparent that they were not concerned with personal use, or even small time dealers. They just wanted the Kingpin. In my vast experience, I have never seen anyone investigated or pursued for personal use. If someone is arrested for possession of testosterone or its derivatives, I have only seen it occur because they found it while looking for something else. Simple possession of a schedule III controlled substance is only a misdemeanor. I have never heard of any legal pursuit of someone who orders from a UGL for personal use. If you have heard a story of someone who ordered testosterone online, and was subsequently arrested, there is probably more to the story of which you are not aware.

 

[DannZ]

This is a great question. Not a single client was even investigated. No member of any law enforcement even asked about any clients. It was quite apparent that they were not concerned with personal use, or even small time dealers. They just wanted the Kingpin. In my vast experience, I have never seen anyone investigated or pursued for personal use. If someone is arrested for possession of testosterone or its derivatives, I have only seen it occur because they found it while looking for something else. Simple possession of a schedule III controlled substance is only a misdemeanor. I have never heard of any legal pursuit of someone who orders from a UGL for personal use. If you have heard a story of someone who ordered testosterone online, and was subsequently arrested, there is probably more to the story of which you are not aware.

Off the top of my head:
1. Some commentor on reddit who claims to have been arrested in the 90's. Context: he bought from thailand, and says the feds originally mistook his 300 or so pills for molly or something. (
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/comments/1jqjl9/have_any_of_you_been_caught_before/
) He was referenced in an old post here
2. This other guy who bought a personal amount. Context: also from thailand (Thailand Customs Helps DEA Bust a Texas Middle School Teacher Who Ordered Steroids - Roidvisor - Your reliable guide in Steroids)
3. Melissa Bumstead recently (Bodybuilder Melissa Bumstead Arrested for Possession of Controlled Substances | BarBend). This controlled delivery was like something out of a cop movie

I've heard that not all make it to the media either

 

[bdsupplements]

Off the top of my head:
1. Some commentor on reddit who claims to have been arrested in the 90's. Context: he bought from thailand, and says the feds originally mistook his 300 or so pills for molly or something. (
View: https://www.reddit.com/r/steroids/comments/1jqjl9/have_any_of_you_been_caught_before/
) He was referenced in an old post here
2. This other guy who bought a personal amount. Context: also from thailand (Thailand Customs Helps DEA Bust a Texas Middle School Teacher Who Ordered Steroids - Roidvisor - Your reliable guide in Steroids)
3. Melissa Bumstead recently (Bodybuilder Melissa Bumstead Arrested for Possession of Controlled Substances | BarBend). This controlled delivery was like something out of a cop movie

I've heard that not all make it to the media either

Thank you for the post. Evidently, on rare occasion, people are arrested for possession in personal use quantities. If you notice, the commonality between these arrests is that they were all coming from across the border and through customs. There will be some increased scrutiny from shipping through customs. I was a U.S. domestic supplier, and I have always recommended people go that route, or get a legal prescription through a TRT clinic. This was a great post DannZ. Thank you for the information.

 

[grey]

3. Melissa Bumstead recently (Bodybuilder Melissa Bumstead Arrested for Possession of Controlled Substances | BarBend). This controlled delivery was like something out of a cop movie

Given the effort level here someone very clearly had a bit of a grudge against someone in that household as well.

 

[DannZ]

Is there evidence out there for "possession" (because even 3 vials = ITD) busts that don't make it to media?

 

[grey]

Is there evidence out there for "possession" (because even 3 vials = ITD) busts that don't make it to media?

Court records... They are public.


You aren't going to find many.

 

[bdsupplements]

Is there evidence out there for "possession" (because even 3 vials = ITD) busts that don't make it to media?

This, also, is a great question. In my vast experience, not many people go to prison solely for anabolic steroids. While I was in prison, I only met one other person who had steroids on his case. He also had opioids and a gun on his case, so it is hard to tell what triggered the investigation. Most people I met, and you meet a lot of people, had never heard of anyone else in prison because of steroids. So, as an answer to your question, besides Operation Cyber Juice, steroids don't appear to be the focus of many investigations, and very few people go to prison for it. The overwhelming majority of people in prison are there for opiates, cocaine, and crystal meth.

 

[DannZ]

This, also, is a great question. In my vast experience, not many people go to prison solely for anabolic steroids. While I was in prison, I only met one other person who had steroids on his case. He also had opioids and a gun on his case, so it is hard to tell what triggered the investigation. Most people I met, and you meet a lot of people, had never heard of anyone else in prison because of steroids. So, as an answer to your question, besides Operation Cyber Juice, steroids don't appear to be the focus of many investigations, and very few people go to prison for it. The overwhelming majority of people in prison are there for opiates, cocaine, and crystal meth.

Sure. Rare but not nonexistent. Problem also is that data collection is more sophisticated in the 2020s than ever, so some new precedents could come up. Tbh goal should be either coming off or getting to legal trt as soon as your life permits

 

[Killze022]

This, also, is a great question. In my vast experience, not many people go to prison solely for anabolic steroids. While I was in prison, I only met one other person who had steroids on his case. He also had opioids and a gun on his case, so it is hard to tell what triggered the investigation. Most people I met, and you meet a lot of people, had never heard of anyone else in prison because of steroids. So, as an answer to your question, besides Operation Cyber Juice, steroids don't appear to be the focus of many investigations, and very few people go to prison for it. The overwhelming majority of people in prison are there for opiates, cocaine, and crystal meth.

Sorry if I missed it somewhere in the thread, but how did your operation get busted? How did they catch you?

 

[Delphi]

Given the effort level here someone very clearly had a bit of a grudge against someone in that household as well.

You can get away with a lot, if you don't piss anyone off.

 

[Millard]

I think it would be very informative and a good learning opportunity for everyone to talk to someone who went through this, so it can be understood on an inside level exactly what to watch out for, and how all of this plays out.

Thank you for taking the time to do an AMA session for MESO! I agree that it is a great opportunity for members to learn more about the entire experience and process you underwent.

One question that I have concerns the post-conviction and sentencing period. Basically, what was life like afterward with a felony record? How difficult was it to gain employment, start your business, loans, mortgages, merchant accounts, etc. Challenges? Frustrations? Struggles?

 

[Delphi]

Thank you for taking the time to do an AMA session for MESO! I agree that it is a great opportunity for members to learn more about the entire experience and process you underwent.

One question that I have concerns the post-conviction and sentencing period. Basically, what was life like afterward with a felony record? How difficult was it to gain employment, start your business, loans, mortgages, merchant accounts, etc. Challenges? Frustrations? Struggles?

You can get most non violent records expunged.

Even without that, unless its some job around kids or something, felony convictions don't cause that much problems. You can still start a business, get loans, mortgages, merchant accounts.

People who. want to make $ off of you, don't care about anything, unless you can make them $.

 

[Gbro]

You can get most non violent records expunged.

Even without that, unless its some job around kids or something, felony convictions don't cause that much problems. You can still start a business, get loans, mortgages, merchant accounts.

People who. want to make $ off of you, don't care about anything, unless you can make them $.

Did you just pull that out of your ass?

 

[Delphi]

Did you just pull that out of your ass?

Another big myth is you can't vote with a felony record. Most states you can. It's not a federal law.

$ talks.

 

[x666x]

You can get most non violent records expunged.

Even without that, unless its some job around kids or something, felony convictions don't cause that much problems. You can still start a business, get loans, mortgages, merchant accounts.

People who. want to make $ off of you, don't care about anything, unless you can make them $.

Sorry Delphi, but the large number of employers that are doing extensive background checks do care if you've got a felony record for anabolics.

Most guys that have felonies end up having to take jobs like contractor or construction. You're not gonna find too many corporations that will touch you if you have a felony for drugs. If you work healthcare you can forget it as no hospital or clinic is gonna hire someone with a felony record as it's a liability and bad PR.

Anabolics because the raws are measured as 25mg/Unit of Delivery it allows any of us involved to be considered traffickers and yet it's for personal use. The weight of the vial includes the glass and stopper to get those counts as high as possible so it makes the front page newspaper.

The bottom line is stay safe and keep your drop house squeaky clean, don't involve women and children and stay private and well behaved at all times and most importantly don't ever let your guard down.

 

[x666x]

Sure. Rare but not nonexistent. Problem also is that data collection is more sophisticated in the 2020s than ever, so some new precedents could come up. Tbh goal should be either coming off or getting to legal trt as soon as your life permits

This thread was very interesting, but it seems almost all of these busts have one thing in common and that's too many people. You gotta keep yourself unknown to anyone and that requires constant changing of identity, methods of communication.

You can't hire people to help you as they will probably screw up and run their mouths.

So while technology can be hacked it can also be used to constantly change patterns to where LE is gonna have a tough time trying to figure out your next move.

What do people that have been busted have in common. They fail to remain totally private, isolate to the point of being a hermit.

 

[Delphi]

This thread was very interesting, but it seems almost all of these busts have one thing in common and that's too many people. You gotta keep yourself unknown to anyone and that requires constant changing of identity, methods of communication.

You can't hire people to help you as they will probably screw up and run their mouths.

So while technology can be hacked it can also be used to constantly change patterns to where LE is gonna have a tough time trying to figure out your next move.

What do people that have been busted have in common. They fail to remain totally private, isolate to the point of being a hermit.

I worry more about child support, no escape, 27% of your income before taxes. for 18 years!

I don't worry about anything, unless it could land me in Prison for 5 years or more. Anything less, and a good attorney will get you off.

 

[bdsupplements]

Sorry if I missed it somewhere in the thread, but how did your operation get busted? How did they catch you?

Ultimately, the operation was busted by Operation Cyber Juice. But, it wasn't like they just picked the operation to investigate because it was one of the larger domestic suppliers at the time. The fall of the operation can be traced back to one event. The operation was developed to be compartmentalized. Therefore, if one piece of the operation was busted, the whole operation would not crumble. To do this, each individual involved did a specific job; each individual was not supposed to know anyone else in the operation; and most individuals lived in different states. A chemist making the product in one state, would ship it to a shipper in another state. Despite vacuum sealing and bubble wrapping, one of the bottles broke and leaked through the package. USPS rules state that if a package leaks, they are able to open it to make sure the leaking substance is not hazardous. Once they saw what was inside, they sent local DEA to the address on the package. Two individuals were arrested. One was a shipper who was the only person who knew how the whole operation worked. They scared the person into informing on everyone and everything. Interestingly enough, they didn't have a lot on that person, just a low level felony, that would have yielded no jail time, and a conditional discharge so the felony would not have affected them long term. At this time, it was still a state charge. A lawyer was provided for the one who did not inform. That lawyer told us the feds were not going to pick up this case. The two people were charged with low level felonies, and that was it. So, about 5 months later, after laying low, everyone in the operation wanted to get started again. So we did. We stayed out of the state where the arrests had occurred, and continued the operation. The feds eventually did pick up the case, and two years later, 10 of us were indicted.

 

[Delphi]

Ultimately, the operation was busted by Operation Cyber Juice. But, it wasn't like they just picked the operation to investigate because it was one of the larger domestic suppliers at the time. The fall of the operation can be traced back to one event. The operation was developed to be compartmentalized. Therefore, if one piece of the operation was busted, the whole operation would not crumble. To do this, each individual involved did a specific job; each individual was not supposed to know anyone else in the operation; and most individuals lived in different states. A chemist making the product in one state, would ship it to a shipper in another state. Despite vacuum sealing and bubble wrapping, one of the bottles broke and leaked through the package. USPS rules state that if a package leaks, they are able to open it to make sure the leaking substance is not hazardous. Once they saw what was inside, they sent local DEA to the address on the package. Two individuals were arrested. One was a shipper who was the only person who knew how the whole operation worked. They scared the person into informing on everyone and everything. Interestingly enough, they didn't have a lot on that person, just a low level felony, that would have yielded no jail time, and a conditional discharge so the felony would not have affected them long term. At this time, it was still a state charge. A lawyer was provided for the one who did not inform. That lawyer told us the feds were not going to pick up this case. The two people were charged with low level felonies, and that was it. So, about 5 months later, after laying low, everyone in the operation wanted to get started again. So we did. We stayed out of the state where the arrests had occurred, and continued the operation. The feds eventually did pick up the case, and two years later, 10 of us were indicted.

As I stated... everyone in jail is there for the same thing... A friend ratted on them

 

[DannZ]

Ultimately, the operation was busted by Operation Cyber Juice. But, it wasn't like they just picked the operation to investigate because it was one of the larger domestic suppliers at the time. The fall of the operation can be traced back to one event. The operation was developed to be compartmentalized. Therefore, if one piece of the operation was busted, the whole operation would not crumble. To do this, each individual involved did a specific job; each individual was not supposed to know anyone else in the operation; and most individuals lived in different states. A chemist making the product in one state, would ship it to a shipper in another state. Despite vacuum sealing and bubble wrapping, one of the bottles broke and leaked through the package. USPS rules state that if a package leaks, they are able to open it to make sure the leaking substance is not hazardous. Once they saw what was inside, they sent local DEA to the address on the package. Two individuals were arrested. One was a shipper who was the only person who knew how the whole operation worked. They scared the person into informing on everyone and everything. Interestingly enough, they didn't have a lot on that person, just a low level felony, that would have yielded no jail time, and a conditional discharge so the felony would not have affected them long term. At this time, it was still a state charge. A lawyer was provided for the one who did not inform. That lawyer told us the feds were not going to pick up this case. The two people were charged with low level felonies, and that was it. So, about 5 months later, after laying low, everyone in the operation wanted to get started again. So we did. We stayed out of the state where the arrests had occurred, and continued the operation. The feds eventually did pick up the case, and two years later, 10 of us were indicted.

What was in that package that leaked?