Canada Project Newton Targets Bodybuilder in Steroids and Methamphetamine Bust

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Competitive bodybuilder Reiner Ruska was the focus of an 18-month investigation codenamed Project Newton led by the Hamilton Police Service in Canada. Ruska won the Heavyweight class at the OPA Ontario Provincial Championships in 2007. Ruska, his fiance, brother and 18 other individuals “loosely affiliated with the bodybuilding community” were arrested earlier this month as part of the “Ruska’s criminal organization”.

The steroid bust involved several sports nutrition stores. Reiner Ruska owned Herc’s Nutrition in Hamilton while his brother, Alex Ruska, operated the Herc’s Nutrition store in Stoney Creek. Reiner Ruska also advertised working as a personal trainer at Premier Nutrition in Grimsby. Anabolic steroids and recreational drugs were allegedly sold through these stores.

The Hamilton Police partnered with several other police agencies to execute 23 search warrants during raids in several Ontario cities. One million dollars in anabolic steroids and $3 million in crystal methamphetamine were seized during the raids.

Police claim that Ruska operated an underground lab to produce his own oral and injectable anabolic steroids.

The crystal meth seizure was ““the largest single seizure of crystal methamphetamine outside of a (clandestine) lab setting in Canada”.

Police also seized $400,00o in vehicles including a Porsche Carrera, GMC Denali and BMW 750 as well as $140,000 in cash.

Twenty-one individuals were arrested and charged with numerous violations involving the Canada Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). The charges include “conspiracy to traffic and possession for the purpose of trafficking anabolic steroids, methamphetamine, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana and ketamine” and “production of anabolic steroids.”

All individuals listed are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.