St. Louis, MO - The United States Attorney’s Office announced today that Keith Ashabranner pled guilty to one charge of conspiracy to possess and distribute human growth hormone drugs.

According to court documents, Ashabranner and co-defendant Gregory Loomans were body-builders who frequented gyms in St. Charles County. Both men admitted with their pleas that they bought steroids and human growth hormone from China with others, injected a portion of the drugs into themselves, and sold and distributed the remaining drugs to other body-builders in Missouri. In his plea agreement, Ashabranner admitted that he spent approximately $32,483 for the Chinese drugs discussed above, and gained over $30,000 from selling the drugs, including the costs of the drugs he personally used.

KEITH ASHABRANNER, O’Fallon, MO, pled guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to possess and distribute human growth hormone drugs before United States District Judge Rodney W. Sippel, who set sentencing for May 4, 2012.

GREGORY LOOMANS, St. Charles, MO, pled guilty last December, and is set for sentencing on March 16, 2012.

This charges carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or fines up to $250,000. In determining the actual sentences, a Judge is required to consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide recommended sentencing ranges.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Office of Criminal Investigation for the United States Food and Drug Administration and the Missouri South Central Drug Task Force, with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Office of Homeland Security Investigations.