Byron Parker, owner of ResearchLabSupply.com, entered a plea agreement in U.S. District Court in Providence, Rhode Island on December 27, 2007. He has agreed to plea guilty to distribution of drug paraphernalia “which were primarily designed and intended to be used in the converting, preparing, injecting, and ingesting of anabolic steroids, Schedule III controlled substances” at his arraignment on January 10, 2008.
ResearchLabSupply.com was a very popular “conversion kit” provider discussed on many bodybuilding forums. Conversion kits have been popular in the bodybuilding community as a way to convert Finaplix trenbolone implants into an injectable steroid solution
The last day of operation for the website was on August 21, 2007 after which customers were notified of the store closure. The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations charges only involved the sale of “drug paraphernalia” identified as kits used to convert anabolic steroid powders (or implants such as Finaplix) into injectable liquids (e.g. benzyl alcohol, cottonseed oil, sesame seed oil, syringe filters, syringes, sterile empty glass vials, etc.). Byron Parker was operating under the business name of Classical Insights, LLC dba Research Services, LLC of West Palm Beach, Florida. A review of the plea agreement reveals that Mr. Parker was NOT charged with distribution of any type of anabolic steroids and/or other bodybuilding drug – only paraphernalia.
In exchange for Mr. Parker’s guilty plea, the federal government “will recommend that the Court impose the lowest term of imprisonment for the offense level determined by the court under the United States Sentencing Guidelines…”
However, the penalties for distribution of drug paraphernalia are felonies and could involve prison time even under the plea agreement.
The agreement calls for forfeiting the $250,000 in proceeds and identifies $219,067 seized by federal agents from accounts that Parker held. In the plea agreement, Parker concedes the forfeiture. The maximum penalty for selling drug paraphernalia is three years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.
http://www.projo.com/news/content/steroid_plea_01-03-08_SF8FESB_v6.26d232c.html
ResearchLabSupply.com Plea Agreement
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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