Posted on November 14, 2013 at 9:05 AM
Updated
Friday, Nov 15 at 7:50 AM
http://www.kgw.com/news/Feds-local-police-bust-steroids-ring-231922281.html
PORTLAND -- Police fanned out through the Portland area early Thursday morning and raided more than half a dozen homes connected to a steroids sales ring with ties to China.
Authorities allege the group bought powdered steroids in raw form from China, then repackaged them and then sent them all across America. The indictment say the group used a used car dealership called SJ Motors to launder money while distributing the illegal drugs.
The indictment says the group imported anabolic steroids in powder form, changed them into liquid and cap form and labeled and distributed them.
The doses used a variety of added drugs including human growth hormone, Viagra, Cialis and Arimadex, a cancer treatment drug for post-menopausal women that reduces estrogen levels.
Sixteen people have been indicted in the case but Shane Jack and Landon Britt were described as the ringleaders.Court papers show that Britt sent nearly a half-million dollars to Chinese companies for steroids over the course of a seven-year period.
The indictment says money was sent between the conspirators and factories in several Chinese cities with banks in Hong Kong acting as a financial intermediary.
Financial transactions and shipments date back to 2006, with most listed in the past two years. The drugs were shipped from a post office on Southeast 82nd Avenue to as far east as North Carolina.
The indictment lists counts of conspiracy to import and distribute illegal drugs; carrying or using a firearm during the commission of a drug trafficking crime and international money laundering.
Named in the indictment were Shane Jack and wife Georgia Jack of the Duke address; Landon Britt of the Harold address; Ronald Stoltenberg of the Vancouver address; Brandon Lyons, who lives in Portland and Clackamas and is the son of defendant Rebecca Erickson and step-son of Doug Erickson, both of Portland.
The accused also include James Longoria Jr., of Clackamas, Matthew Bowen of Tualatin, Christopher Bowden of Beaverton, Travis Monteith of Fairview, Bradley Hollibaugh of Otis Orchards, Wash., Ali Shaghaghi of Seattle, Benjamin Luck and German Martin McCubbin, who live in California and Keith Kofoed who lives in California and North Carolina.
Buildings raided were in Portland at 8116 SE Duke St.; 12523 SE Harold St.,Unit 106 of the Altamont Luxury Apartments,9701 SE Johnson Creek Blvd; 7185 Los Verdes Drive, Gladstone and Vancouver at 518 SE 102nd Drive.
The agencies involved in the investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals, the U.S. Postal Service and Portland Police.
