Steroid Distribution at Planet Nutrition in Lake Charles

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Jordan & Chris Nutrition LLC doing business as Planet Nutrition in Lake Charles (Louisiana) was a distribution point for anabolic steroids manufactured by a local underground steroid lab according to court documents. Jordan Berza and Christopher Gass, the owners of Planet Nutrition, have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids and money laundering charges. Three additional individuals, out of 13 co-defendants in the case, have also pleaded guilty to steroid conspiracy charges. Prosecutors expect more guilty pleas to follow.

The UGL’s source for raw steroid powder in China was also indicted by federal prosecutors in United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (Lake Charles Division).

The co-defendants wired money via Western Union to “Bo Han” in China for seventeen packages of raw steroid powder during a four-month period in 2010. Two of the packages, each containing 500 grams of steroid powder, were seized by customs. The powder was converted into finished oral and injectable steroid products in a clandestine underground lab. The steroid traffickng organization allegedly manufactured and sold approximately 7000 vials of steroids.

Todd Clemons, the defense attorney representing Jordan Berza, defended his client to a local television news station.

Defense attorney Todd Clemons represents Berza who he says has taken responsibility for what he did. “What he was doing for a short period of time, he and others, were distributing steroids to other young men, mostly here in Lake Charles but in other areas and it’s important for me to add that nobody was harmed by the use of these steroids. These are basically young men who are into body building, who were into weight lifting and they were using these steroids strictly for cosmetic purposes.” Reporter: “How do you know nobody was harmed by it? “Well, because Jordan knows the people he was involved with. And most of the people he was involved with got indicted.” […]

Clemons says the young entrepreneurs admit that they made a mistake and they hope to go forward with a successful business in fact, they say they plan to open two new stores within the next six months. “They made some very foolish youthful mistakes in getting involved with steroids. But they have moved beyond that and I think America is the land of redemption. I think America, we’re a place of second chances.”

Sentencing is scheduled for October 13, 2011. The defendants face up to ten years on prison.