Tweet
A Southern California man accused of running a steroids lab in Compton has agreed to plead guilty to weapons and drug charges, according to court documents filed Monday.
Warren Abramson will plead guilty to five counts, including one for possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and three for having gun silencers. A court date to enter his plea before a judge has not yet been determined.
He faces up to 55 years in federal prison and fines totaling $1.25 million.
A phone message left for Abramson's attorney, Thomas Nishi, was not immediately returned.
Abramson, 34, offered steroids for sale on the Internet through his distribution company and leased a building in Compton to manufacture the substance as well as other drugs, the plea agreement said.
Abramson, a former military police officer, had more than 6400 grams of anabolic steroids that he intended to deliver to his clients in September 2007, prosecutors said. That amount could result in more than 255,000 dosage units.
Among the items seized from Abramson included three silencers, four firearms and more than 4,500 rounds of ammunition, court documents show.
Abramson was among more than 120 people who were arrested in 2007 as part of a global investigation into steroid trafficking over the Internet. Dubbed Operation Raw Deal, federal agents busted 56 labs and recovered more than 11 million doses of steroids and human growth hormone.
Abramson, who was soliciting customers from around the nation, was one of the larger steroid providers arrested in the investigation, law enforcement officials said.
What was touted at the time by federal authorities as the largest-ever crackdown on steroids followed a growing number of scandals in the sports world over steroid abuse. The investigation, however, didn't ensnare any professional or college athletes after a review of thousands of customer names retrieved from targeted Web distributors.
Many of those who were arrested have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, authorities said.
Warren Abramson will plead guilty to five counts, including one for possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and three for having gun silencers. A court date to enter his plea before a judge has not yet been determined.
He faces up to 55 years in federal prison and fines totaling $1.25 million.
A phone message left for Abramson's attorney, Thomas Nishi, was not immediately returned.
Abramson, 34, offered steroids for sale on the Internet through his distribution company and leased a building in Compton to manufacture the substance as well as other drugs, the plea agreement said.
Abramson, a former military police officer, had more than 6400 grams of anabolic steroids that he intended to deliver to his clients in September 2007, prosecutors said. That amount could result in more than 255,000 dosage units.
Among the items seized from Abramson included three silencers, four firearms and more than 4,500 rounds of ammunition, court documents show.
Abramson was among more than 120 people who were arrested in 2007 as part of a global investigation into steroid trafficking over the Internet. Dubbed Operation Raw Deal, federal agents busted 56 labs and recovered more than 11 million doses of steroids and human growth hormone.
Abramson, who was soliciting customers from around the nation, was one of the larger steroid providers arrested in the investigation, law enforcement officials said.
What was touted at the time by federal authorities as the largest-ever crackdown on steroids followed a growing number of scandals in the sports world over steroid abuse. The investigation, however, didn't ensnare any professional or college athletes after a review of thousands of customer names retrieved from targeted Web distributors.
Many of those who were arrested have pleaded guilty and been sentenced, authorities said.
Comment