Tweet
Shunyong “Yonnie” Wu, the former Director of the Mass Spectrometry Center in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Auburn University, has avoided going to jail after being linked to a domestic underground laboratory (UGL) that manufactured anabolic steroids.
Wu was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. He had faced a maximum of up to one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to possession of a Schedule III controlled substance (anabolic steroids) outside the usual course of professional medical practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
Wu may have avoided prison but the steroid case and the resulting publicity have effectively destroyed his professional and academic career. Wu lost his job as the Director of the Mass Spectrometry Center.
Wu has a doctorate degree and has been prolifically published in various scientific and academic journals for his work in agricultural biotechnology, analytical chemistry and mammalian cell biology. However, future opportunities in his field may be more limited given his conviction and professional disgrace.
The conviction of Wu reflects everything that is wrong with the U.S. war on steroids. Wu's only mistake was making the decision to help a former employee at Auburn University who wanted to have some steroid samples tested. Scott Davis, also known as “Beaker” on eroids.com, asked Wu to help him out by conducting quality control testing on samples of raw steroid powder from China as well as finished steroid products manufactured by a domestic UGL.
Wu went out of his way to help Beaker with his expertise without seeking anything in return other than asking Davis to send $75 payable to “Auburn University” for each and every sample tested. Beaker had partnered with Mike Heryford, also known as “Angus”, to use the laboratory reports provided by Wu to help promote and market UGL steroid products sold by Trusted Anabolic Solutions (TAS).
Unfortunately, Wu did not have a DEA license to receive, handle and analyze anabolic steroids according to USPS Postal Inspector James Sicks criminal complaint against Wu. This made it illegal for Wu to conduct testing on steroid samples.
“A review of records by DEA personnel finds neither Yonnie WU nor the Mass Spectrometry Center of Auburn University possess a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number,” stated Wu's criminal complaint. “This registration is required to administer, dispense, order, store or prescribe controlled substances.”
By most accounts, Wu's naivete allowed him to be easily manipulated by Beaker and Angus. And to make matters worse, Wu only got into legal trouble only after Angus decided to snitch on him in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence.
“Heryford has cooperated with law enforcement through debriefing in hopes that he will receive leniency in sentencing… Heryford told investigators that he conspired with Scott Davis, aka Beaker, and Yonnie Wu to conduct testing of illicit anabolic steroids sent to him by by different clandestine manufacturers. Each test cost approximately $75.00.”
The only thing worse than the fact that the nation's misguided war on steroids tarnished Wu's career is the possibility that the U.S. criminal justice system could reward the UGL steroid dealer who snitched on Wu with a reduced prison sentence.
Wu was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine. He had faced a maximum of up to one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine after he pleaded guilty to possession of a Schedule III controlled substance (anabolic steroids) outside the usual course of professional medical practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose.
Wu may have avoided prison but the steroid case and the resulting publicity have effectively destroyed his professional and academic career. Wu lost his job as the Director of the Mass Spectrometry Center.
Wu has a doctorate degree and has been prolifically published in various scientific and academic journals for his work in agricultural biotechnology, analytical chemistry and mammalian cell biology. However, future opportunities in his field may be more limited given his conviction and professional disgrace.
The conviction of Wu reflects everything that is wrong with the U.S. war on steroids. Wu's only mistake was making the decision to help a former employee at Auburn University who wanted to have some steroid samples tested. Scott Davis, also known as “Beaker” on eroids.com, asked Wu to help him out by conducting quality control testing on samples of raw steroid powder from China as well as finished steroid products manufactured by a domestic UGL.
Wu went out of his way to help Beaker with his expertise without seeking anything in return other than asking Davis to send $75 payable to “Auburn University” for each and every sample tested. Beaker had partnered with Mike Heryford, also known as “Angus”, to use the laboratory reports provided by Wu to help promote and market UGL steroid products sold by Trusted Anabolic Solutions (TAS).
Unfortunately, Wu did not have a DEA license to receive, handle and analyze anabolic steroids according to USPS Postal Inspector James Sicks criminal complaint against Wu. This made it illegal for Wu to conduct testing on steroid samples.
“A review of records by DEA personnel finds neither Yonnie WU nor the Mass Spectrometry Center of Auburn University possess a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number,” stated Wu's criminal complaint. “This registration is required to administer, dispense, order, store or prescribe controlled substances.”
By most accounts, Wu's naivete allowed him to be easily manipulated by Beaker and Angus. And to make matters worse, Wu only got into legal trouble only after Angus decided to snitch on him in hopes of receiving a reduced sentence.
“Heryford has cooperated with law enforcement through debriefing in hopes that he will receive leniency in sentencing… Heryford told investigators that he conspired with Scott Davis, aka Beaker, and Yonnie Wu to conduct testing of illicit anabolic steroids sent to him by by different clandestine manufacturers. Each test cost approximately $75.00.”
The only thing worse than the fact that the nation's misguided war on steroids tarnished Wu's career is the possibility that the U.S. criminal justice system could reward the UGL steroid dealer who snitched on Wu with a reduced prison sentence.