United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Operation Phony Pharm: ARIZONA MAN ADMITS MANUFACTURE AND DISTRIBUTION OF STEROIDS OVER THE INTERNET

Nora R. Dannehy, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWIN F. PORTER, 42, of Chandler, Arizona, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Mark R. Kravitz in New Haven to one count of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids.

According to documents filed with the Court and statements made in court, PORTER conspired with Tyler Lunn and Matthew Peltz to purchase more than one kilogram of raw steroid powder from China, manufacture anabolic steroids at PORTER’s or Lunn’s home, and distribute them to customers around the country through a MySpace.com profile “anabolic-ss” and an Internet web site they created, www.anabolic-superstore.com.  In pleading guilty, PORTER today  admitted that, in August 2007, he also instructed another individual to delete email related to the distribution of anabolic steroids.

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 September 5, 2008, at which time LUNN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

Lunn and Peltz have pleaded guilty to anabolic steroids distribution charges.  Each awaits sentencing.

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