The Rodney Philon case is one illustration of the disparity in federal sentencing for anabolic steroid related crimes. Pasco County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Rodney Philon decided to share 10 tablets of Dianabol (methandrostenolone) with a fellow weightlifter at a Tampa Bay area gym; unfortunately the weighlifter was a DEA confidential informant. A SWAT team was sent to arrest Rodney Philon at his home, federal prosecutors indicted Philon of steroid distribution charges, and Rodney Philon was ultimately sentenced to 2 years probation with a requirement of 6 months home detention. All for 10 tablets of Dianabol.
Compare and contrast this to the case of convicted steroid dealer David Jacobs. According to law enforcement authorities, David Jacobs was the mastermind behind one of the largest steroid distribution networks in the country. Evidence linked him to the distribution of millions of dosage units of anabolic steroids during the years his operation was active. He was held responsible for over 400,000 dosage units that were seized from those in his network. Surely, his sentence would be a little harsher than Rodney Philon’s 6 months home detention for 10 tablets of Dianabol? Not.
David Jacobs received no jail time, no home detention as part of his sentencing. He was given the proverbial “slap on the wrist” with 3 years probation. David Jacobs ultimately died in an apparent murder-suicide.
What could explain the unexpected disparity in sentencing for steroid distribution crimes that ranged from 10 steroid units to 400,000 steroid units? Thoughts? Leave your comments below.
About the author
Millard writes about anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs and their use and impact in sport and society. He discusses the medical and non-medical uses of anabolic-androgenic steroids while advocating a harm reduction approach to steroid education.
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