A former Paw Paw police officer was sentenced to one-year probation and a small fine after pleading no contest to one count of possession of Fluoxymesterone (aka Halotestin) in a Michigan steroid investigation that targeted law enforcement personnel and gym owners.Robert Kusmack will have the steroid conviction removed from his record after successfully completing probation. Kusmack was fired from the Paw Paw Police Department in May 2010.
Most steroid investigations use small fish to go after the bigger fish. They use steroid users to go after steroid dealers. However, authorities conduct steroid investigations differently in Michigan. The West Michigan Enforcement Team (WEMET) and the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) caught their steroid dealer in March 2010 after the United States Mail Inspection Service discovered a package containing 50 vial of human growth hormone (hGH) addressed to Tom Radke.
Instead of prosecuting the steroid dealer, Michigan authorities decided to use Radke as a steroid-dealer-turned-informant to bust some cops on steroids while setting up a local gym owner in the process.
Radke’s first order of business as a police informant was to lead KVET and WEMET to Paw Paw police officer Robert Kusmack. Radke sold $100 worth of fluoxymesterone to Aaron DiPrima, the owner of Strength Beyond Gym, knowing that the steroids would end up going to Kusmack. DiPrima and Kusmack were both arrested as a result of Radke’s cooperation as an undercover informant.
DiPrima pleaded guilty to “possession of an analague” and was sentenced to one year probation and 60 hours of community service. Like Kusmack, DiPrima will also have the conviction removed from his record after successfully completing probation.
Michigan’s successful steroid probe ultimately allowed to steroid dealer to go free but led to the convictions and loss of job for three steroid users.
About Millard Baker