Former gym owner, former bodybuilder and former police officer Eric Garonzik was sentenced to 12 to 23 months in the Dauphin County Prison Work Release Center and 5 years probation after pleading guilty to steroid distribution and conspiracy charges related to his arrest in the steroid investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office that was codenamed Operation Roid Runner.
Operation Roid Runner was a steroid probe by state law enforcement targeting the bodybuilding steroid network in Pennsylvania. Garonzik was arrested with his now ex-wife during the first phase of Operation Roid Runner in November 2009. Eric and Stacy Garonzik were the owner of a Lemoyne gym called Kinetics. They were accused of selling anabolic steroids, including items imported from sources in China, Panama and Mexico, and even injecting some of their clients with steroids in the offices of their gym.
Several amateur bodybuilders and the owners of the underground lab (UGL) called “Pro Lab” were also among the 10 people arrested during the first phase of Operation Roid Runner.
The second phase of Operation Roid Runner occurred in August 2010. An amateur bodybuilder, an IFBB professional bodybuilder and an NPC / IFBB promoter were arrested during this phase. The arrests included charges involving the distribution of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (hGH).
Eric Garonzik has had multiple run-ins with the law including a 1997 sexual assault charge, a 2003 terrorism charge based on threats to blow up his ex-wife’s house, a 2006 sexual assault charge and three drug-related charges.
Garonzik’s history of sexual assault and terroristic threats weren’t serious enough to land him in prison. While Garonzik was sentenced to county prison on a disorderly conduct charge arising out of the threats related to his ex-wife’s house, it appears he was immediately paroled.
So, what does it take to go to prison in Pennsylvania? Selling steroids.
About Millard Baker