United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Operation Phony Pharm: ARIZONA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DISTRIBUTING STEROIDS OVER THE INTERNET

Kevin J. O’Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MATTHEW J. PELTZ, 36, of Chandler, Arizona, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to one count of distributing anabolic steroids.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, PELTZ and others purchased raw steroid powder from China, manufactured anabolic steroids in home laboratories and distributed them to customers around the country through a MySpace.com profile and an Internet web site they created, www.anabolic-superstore.com.

This matter stems from Operation Phony Pharm, an investigation headed by the FBI’s Healthcare Fraud Unit in the District of Connecticut.  Using several sophisticated investigative techniques, this initiative has targeted web sites and individuals who are selling Schedule II and III pharmaceuticals over the Internet without a doctor’s consultation or a legitimate legal written prescription.  The investigation also sought to identify and close down underground laboratories in the U.S. that are making these drugs from raw materials obtained from outside the U.S.

Judge Kravitz has scheduled sentencing for December 17, 2007, at which time PELTZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Chang.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov