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Wannabe Mr. Universe Competitor Busted with Substantial Quantities of Fake Steroids
An English bodybuilder was able to avoid jail on steroid distribution charges. While this may sound like good news for the bodybuilder, he may have suffered something far worse. Court testimony revealed that he was allegedly providing his customers with fake anabolic steroids.
Darren Blackburn pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to possess Class C drugs (anabolic steroids) with intent to supply. Prosecutor Rachel Masters submitted SMS text messages to Teesside Crown Court as evidence that Blackburn was involved in supplying steroids to other individuals.
Blackburn refused to identify himself as a “steroid dealer” but conceded that he may be have supplied a few boxes of steroids to some friends and bodybuilders at his local gym. Blackburn insisted that he was not motivated by financial gain. He was primarily interested in obtaining steroids for personal use to help him become a successful competitive bodybuilder.
If Blackburn provided steroids to others, he claimed it was simply because wanted to help out some friends in the gym who shared his passion for bodybuilding. He helped them out with steroid advice and shared steroid price lists with them.
“I always wanted to be bigger and was never satisfied with how I looked,” Blackburn said. “...To my mind I’ve helped out friends at the gym who have a similar interest.”
Blackburn was caught after the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) intercepted 1,034 boxes of anabolic steroids destined for his home in Middlesbrough. Police raided his home and confiscated another 896 boxes of steroids. The total weight of the steroid seizure was approximately 21 kilograms.
Blackburn acknowledged ordering steroids in bulk for personal use but claimed to have no knowledge of the 1,034 boxes seized by the UKBA. He was not expecting the delivery and believed the package must have been a duplicate of a previous order.
A laboratory analysis of the seized steroid products revealed that the products were bogus and contained no active steroid ingredients. Blackburn told police that he had no idea that he was in possession of fake steroids.
Blackburn told the court that he had since abandoned his three-year plan of qualifying and competing at the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition. In fact, Blackburn reported completely giving up his goals of competing as a bodybuilder. He told the judge that he reduced his steroid usage accordingly to a lower level.
Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC proceeded to lecture him on the immorality of “cheating” in bodybuilding contests.
“You were taking part in bodybuilding competitions and essentially you were going to cheat,” Judge Bourne-Arton said. “You were using steroids to improve your performance, improve your chances of winning.”
Judge Bourne-Arton sentenced Blackburn to one year in prison suspended for two years and 140 hours of unpaid community service.
An English bodybuilder was able to avoid jail on steroid distribution charges. While this may sound like good news for the bodybuilder, he may have suffered something far worse. Court testimony revealed that he was allegedly providing his customers with fake anabolic steroids.
Darren Blackburn pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to possess Class C drugs (anabolic steroids) with intent to supply. Prosecutor Rachel Masters submitted SMS text messages to Teesside Crown Court as evidence that Blackburn was involved in supplying steroids to other individuals.
Blackburn refused to identify himself as a “steroid dealer” but conceded that he may be have supplied a few boxes of steroids to some friends and bodybuilders at his local gym. Blackburn insisted that he was not motivated by financial gain. He was primarily interested in obtaining steroids for personal use to help him become a successful competitive bodybuilder.
If Blackburn provided steroids to others, he claimed it was simply because wanted to help out some friends in the gym who shared his passion for bodybuilding. He helped them out with steroid advice and shared steroid price lists with them.
“I always wanted to be bigger and was never satisfied with how I looked,” Blackburn said. “...To my mind I’ve helped out friends at the gym who have a similar interest.”
Blackburn was caught after the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA) intercepted 1,034 boxes of anabolic steroids destined for his home in Middlesbrough. Police raided his home and confiscated another 896 boxes of steroids. The total weight of the steroid seizure was approximately 21 kilograms.
Blackburn acknowledged ordering steroids in bulk for personal use but claimed to have no knowledge of the 1,034 boxes seized by the UKBA. He was not expecting the delivery and believed the package must have been a duplicate of a previous order.
A laboratory analysis of the seized steroid products revealed that the products were bogus and contained no active steroid ingredients. Blackburn told police that he had no idea that he was in possession of fake steroids.
Blackburn told the court that he had since abandoned his three-year plan of qualifying and competing at the Mr. Universe bodybuilding competition. In fact, Blackburn reported completely giving up his goals of competing as a bodybuilder. He told the judge that he reduced his steroid usage accordingly to a lower level.
Judge Simon Bourne-Arton QC proceeded to lecture him on the immorality of “cheating” in bodybuilding contests.
“You were taking part in bodybuilding competitions and essentially you were going to cheat,” Judge Bourne-Arton said. “You were using steroids to improve your performance, improve your chances of winning.”
Judge Bourne-Arton sentenced Blackburn to one year in prison suspended for two years and 140 hours of unpaid community service.
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