Spring Break
Holyfield, Matthews Jr. to be arraigned following drug raid on Orlando pharmacies
Issue date: 3/1/07 Section: Sports
ORLANDO, Fla. (MCT) - With BALCO still churning on the West Coast, a new front on the steroid war opened in the East on Tuesday when law enforcement officers raided two Orlando pharmacies and seized steroids, human growth hormone and records that could connect those drugs to dozens of athletes.
In a raid led by the Albany (N.Y.) County District Attorney's office, officers from several Florida and national agencies arrested four employees of Signature Compounding Pharmacies Tuesday and charged them in an alleged scheme to provide steroids and growth hormone over the Internet.
A source told the Daily News that another pharmacy outside of Florida will be raided in the near future, and that Tuesday's action was related to recent arrests at a Mobile, Ala., pharmacy.
The Albany Times-Union, which broke news of the raids Tuesday, reported that drugs from the Mobile lab were allegedly received by former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., former slugger and best-selling author Jose Canseco and former major league pitcher Jason Grimsley, whose home was raided last year by IRS agents.
The paper also said an investigator flew to Pittsburgh last month to ask a Steelers physician why, in 2006, he allegedly used a personal credit card to buy $150,000 in testosterone and human growth hormone.
"I think this is going to put a significant dent in distribution," Albany DA David Soares said.
When agents raided Signature's primary pharmacy, a three-story building a block from the Orlando Regional Medical Center, at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, employees had cards at their desks instructing them to call a number of lawyers in the event of a DEA or FDA raid.
"Apparently they were expecting it," said Lt. Carl Metzger of the Florida Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. "If they're truly innocent and just going about their business, it's a strange thing to have."
Several raids and arrests were pending, one source close to the investigation said, adding, "This is really the first of two waves."
In a raid led by the Albany (N.Y.) County District Attorney's office, officers from several Florida and national agencies arrested four employees of Signature Compounding Pharmacies Tuesday and charged them in an alleged scheme to provide steroids and growth hormone over the Internet.
A source told the Daily News that another pharmacy outside of Florida will be raided in the near future, and that Tuesday's action was related to recent arrests at a Mobile, Ala., pharmacy.
The Albany Times-Union, which broke news of the raids Tuesday, reported that drugs from the Mobile lab were allegedly received by former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Gary Matthews Jr., former slugger and best-selling author Jose Canseco and former major league pitcher Jason Grimsley, whose home was raided last year by IRS agents.
The paper also said an investigator flew to Pittsburgh last month to ask a Steelers physician why, in 2006, he allegedly used a personal credit card to buy $150,000 in testosterone and human growth hormone.
"I think this is going to put a significant dent in distribution," Albany DA David Soares said.
When agents raided Signature's primary pharmacy, a three-story building a block from the Orlando Regional Medical Center, at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, employees had cards at their desks instructing them to call a number of lawyers in the event of a DEA or FDA raid.
"Apparently they were expecting it," said Lt. Carl Metzger of the Florida Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation. "If they're truly innocent and just going about their business, it's a strange thing to have."
Several raids and arrests were pending, one source close to the investigation said, adding, "This is really the first of two waves."
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