Tweet
P.J. Braun was arrested on March 28th, for a variety of narcotics and steroid charges. His arrest came as part of an investigation into the recently-busted steroid ring in Danbury, Connecticut. He is, as everyone knows, a top National Physique Committee competitor and a Species Nutrition sponsored athlete. Despite both of these facts,, I like P.J. Braun. I think he’s a nice guy (*based on my interactions with him on Facebook), and I know we’ve got a lot of mutual friends (*one, actually, Aaron Singerman). His arrest came as a result of his friendship with Mark Mansa, the alleged ringleader of the operation. PJ was, from what I’m seeing in the indictments and affidavits, using steroids and painkillers, but not involved in selling them.
Of course, as much as I like PJ, and don’t want to kick a guy when he’s down, I’m forced to wonder why in the world he’d continue to store illegal steroids and narcotics in his home, in the months following his buddies getting busted in a huge drug bust.
PJ’s arrest came as a result of a warrant being served on his residence, where officers and agents saw both narcotics (Percocet x 17 tabs) and anabolic steroids (Deca, Halo, and Proviron x 100 tabs). He was charged with three counts each of possession of a controlled substance, three counts of possession of prescription legend drugs, and three counts of possession of narcotics. There is also a sealed arrest warrant under his name, related to a drug possession charge from September of last year. As I’m not seeing any charges related to dealing/sourcing (*yet), it’s probable that PJ gets away with probation, as long as he grabs a decent lawyer.
(from NewsTimes.com, Danbury bodybuilder charged in steroid ring, by John Pirro)
DANBURY — Police said a local bodybuilder has been arrested as part of the continuing investigation into a ring that sold illegal steroids in the Danbury area.
Police said Philip “P.J.” Braun, 30, who writes on his blog that he is best friends with Bethel’s Mark Mansa, who police said is the head of the operation, was taken into custody last week after detectives from the department’s Special Investigations Division and a federal drug agent went to his Pembroke Avenue condominium to serve an arrest warrant for conspiracy to possess marijuana.
The charges are part of the joint investigation by local police and the federal Drug Enforcement Agency that began five years ago, police department spokesman Capt. Thomas Wendel said.
When investigators entered Braun’s home March 28, they said they saw both narcotics and substances that proved to be steroids in plain sight, according to Wendel.
Police said the narcotic was Percocet, a prescription painkiller. The steroids were testosterone, and brand-name steroids Deca-Durabolin, Halotestin and Proviron.
Braun also was charged with three counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of prescription legend drugs, plus possession of narcotics, according to police.
He was released on a promise to appear Wednesday in state Superior Court on White Street.
The arrest warrant affidavit detailing the original marijuana possession charge against Braun has been sealed by the court. The only information available about the case indicated the possession charge stems from a September incident in Danbury.
All the charges indicate Braun was using the drugs, but he was not involved in selling them.
Calls to a phone number for Braun listed in court documents weren’t answered Monday, and it wasn’t known whether he has retained a lawyer.
Four people — Mansa, Brookfield businessman Glenn Wagner, convicted drug dealer Kevin Lubic, of Salem, N.Y., and Richard Sciacchetano, a Stuart, Fla., man with reputed ties to the Bonanno crime family — were indicted by a federal grand jury last month for distributing either marijuana or steroids to customers that authorities said included adults and high school athletes.
Only Mansa, a 46-year-old businessman from Bethel, was accused of participating in both rings.
Wagner, Lubic and Sciacchetano were indicted only on the marijuana-related charges, and both Sciacchetano and Wagner have denied participating in steroid sales.
During Mansa’s initial court appearance, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Vizcarrondo said that area high school athletes and people in “the muscle industry” were among Mansa’s clients who purchased steroids.
Mansa also has boasted that he had been protected by members of several area police departments, including Danbury, New Milford and Wilton, allegations that town officials and police spokesmen in those towns have vehemently denied.