Myogenix, a California-based dietary supplement company, admitted that they illegally sold an unapproved synthetic anabolic steroid as a dietary supplement between 2007 and 2009. The company pleaded guilty to one count of “introduction and delivery of unapproved drugs with intent to defraud and mislead.”
The synthetic steroid in question was “Myogenix Spawn.” Spawn contained “estradienedione/Estra/Tren,” also known by the chemical name, “4,9(10)-estradiene-3,17-dione.”
“Myogenix knowingly labeled Spawn in a manner that was intended to deceive consumers and the FDA, in that it was labeled as a dietary supplement when in fact Spawn was a synthetic steroid,” according to a news release by Department of Justice.
Mark Newman, the director of operations for Myogenix, entered the corporate plea on behalf of the company. As part of the plea agreement, Myogenix agreed to pay a fine of $50,000 and a forfeiture of $100,000. The forfeiture represented the amount of money Myogenix allegedly made from the sale of “Spawn”.
Myogenix is one of the many manufacturers who had their supplements seized from the Bodybuilding.com warehouses on September 24, 2009. Bodybuilding.com was the target of a criminal investigation that accused it and its corporate officers of illegally selling synthetic steroids and steroid clones. The precedent-setting case established that supplement retailers are, in addition to manufacturers, also liable for the products they sell.
Bodybuilding.com, CEO Ryan DeLuca and former President Jeremy DeLuca, in separate cases, each pleaded guilty to criminal charges and agreed to pay a total of $8.1 million in fines
Rick Collins, the leading legal expert on anabolic steroids and sports nutrition, was the lawyer for Myogenix.
Collins’ firm has successfully negotiated “intelligent and fair” corporate plea agreements behalf of numerous companies in similar situations including many of the manufacturers affected by the Bodybuilding.com investigation. These companies include “Anabolic Xtreme”, “Advanced Muscle Science”, “Culver Concepts”, “Bradley Asgard”, “Bjorklund”, “Axis Labs”, “IForce Nutrition” and “American Cellular Labs.”
In each and every case, Collins has kept the principals of the company from personally facing criminal charges. Rather, the corporate entities were held accountable. Instead of prison time, fines and money forfeitures were part of the deals.
Source:
Kurhi, E. (November 15, 2012). San Jose: Supplement company admits in federal court to mislabeling synthetic steroids. Retrieved from http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_22006480/san-jose-supplement-company-admits-federal-court-mislabeling
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