News Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Rhode Island
January 16, 2009
New Jersey man is sentenced in steroid &
human Growth Hormone scheme
A federal judge today sentenced Daniel McGlone, of New Jersey, to two years in prison for a conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). McGlone recommended drug regimens to prospective customers, obtained illegal prescriptions, and had them filled at mail order pharmacies. Two New York physicians have admitted writing prescriptions at McGlone’s request for patients they had never examined.
United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced the sentence, which U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith imposed today in U.S. District Court, Providence. McGlone must make $20,000 restitution to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island for reimbursements it made for illicit prescriptions. He also forfeited to the government $736,298 in proceeds from the scheme.
In July 2007, McGlone pleaded guilty to 50 charges. At the plea hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Adi Goldstein said the government could prove that McGlone, doing business as American Pharmaceutical Group, advertised in magazines and on the Internet to customers interested in procuring steroids, hGH, and other prescription medications. Operating out of his apartment in North Brunswick, New Jersey McGlone in essence acted as a broker between customers and compounding pharmacies that packaged and shipped the drugs.
McGlone advised his customers what to order and then obtained prescriptions from physicians. One of those was Ana Maria Santi, whose license to practice in New York had been revoked in 1999. She wrote prescriptions at McGlone’s request, using the identity of another doctor. Another was Victor Mariani, a physician practicing in Queens, New York.
McGlone pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute hGH and anabolic steroids, six counts of distributing hGH, 11 counts of distributing anabolic steroids, two counts of health care fraud, and 30 counts of money laundering. Santi and Mariani pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme.
In November 2007, Santi was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay approximately $20,000 restitution to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island. Also in November 2007, Mariani was sentenced to three years probation with one year home confinement. Santi forfeited $24,340 and Mariani $34,845.
The charges resulted from an investigation by a task force anchored by the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations. Also participating were the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.