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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
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GBL
Man pleads guilty in solvent 'drink' probe (tennessean.com Friday, 04/29/05)
Former gym owner sought in drug distribution scheme (The Daily News Journal April 29, 2005)
Ohio man pleads guilty in plot to distribute drug ingredient (AP Wed, Oct. 12, 2005)
Alleged Petaluma 'Date Rape' Drug Dealers Indicted (CBS 5 Jul 28, 2005)
Bodybuilder on 101 drug charges (STUFF 28 July 2005)
Drugs 'smuggled in artichoke tins', court told (STUFF 29 July 2005)
Worcester officers indicted on drug charges (AP August 25, 2005)
Oeps: Glaasje water blijkt GBL (The Tribune-Review Thursday, August 19, 2005)
Rose Jr. pleads guilty to distributing drug (AP 08/11/05)
Lauderdale attorney charged with drug trafficking, possession (South Florida Sun-Sentinel December 16 2005)
Fantasy over for Mr NZ (STUFF 11 February 2006)
Bodybuilder jailed over drug smuggling (STUFF 03 March 2006)
Benedict guilty in drug case (Worcester Telegram & Gazette News July 26, 2006)
Jailed muscleman uses web to sell 'convict gear' line (Stuff.co.nz 29 September 2006)
Man pleads guilty in solvent 'drink' probe
By ROB JOHNSON
A federal crackdown on what was described as one the nation's largest known distribution rings of an industrial solvent often used illegally as a purported muscle builder has netted the conviction of a Georgia man who shipped hundreds of gallons of the chemical to Tennessee. Douglas Mills of Atlanta pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to his role in a conspiracy to ship gallons of the chemical GBL to Murfreesboro, where Bruce Michael Wayne would dilute it, mix it with additives, then ship it nationwide to health-food stores and gyms. Those outlets would sell it under the counter as an alternative to steroids, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul O'Brien, the Nashville-based prosecutor who helped coordinate the nationwide investigation. Mills faces up to 20 years in prison and has agreed to forfeit $1 million in drug proceeds to the government. Wayne, who already has pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy, failed to show up for his scheduled sentencing hearing on March 7 and is a fugitive. ''This is a massive amount of this drug,'' O'Brien said yesterday. The 280 gallons of the chemical found in a Murfreesboro storage locker represents one of the largest such seizures ever in the United States and could have been used to produce millions of doses. ''I'm not that smart, but I know that nothing good can come of drinking industrial solvent,'' said O'Brien, a veteran prosecutor. It is considered a particularly effective engine degreaser. GBL also is used to clean the hardwood floors of bowling alleys. GHB and its chemical cousin GBL often are promoted with claims that they will build muscles, improve physical performance, enhance sex, reduce stress, induce sleep and intoxicate, according to the federal government. The illegal drug can cause loss of consciousness, coma and death. In January 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings about GBL's dangers and asked companies that manufactured products containing it to issue voluntary recalls. It was in 1999 when Mills and Wayne met. Wayne owned a Murfreesboro gym and began ordering shipments of the product from Mills, according to the government. Mills was living in Florida, but after a move to Atlanta, he continued to supply Wayne with the drug. The chemical was shipped by the caseload by commercial carrier to Tennessee as janitorial supplies. Wayne would bottle it and ship it out via UPS to customers around the country, according to O'Brien. The distribution ring began to unravel in Detroit, where hospitals and law-enforcement agents started noticing people showing up in emergency rooms. Sometimes the cases showed up as DUIs, when the consumers would fall prey to one of the drug's side effects: a deep, deep sleep. DEA agents in Michigan tracked the shipments back to Murfreesboro, and the distribution ring was exposed, officials said. Agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service took part, as did the TBI and local police and sheriff's departments. ''This was really the hub,'' O'Brien said, referring to the Murfreesboro operation. Federal agents are searching now for Wayne. Mills is scheduled to be sentenced in September by U.S. District Judge Robert Echols. The case is still under investigation, and 12 others have been implicated in the conspiracy. Former gym owner sought in drug distribution scheme
LISA MARCHESONI
More than 30 million doses of a solvent marketed as a steroid alternative were believed distributed by a former Murfreesboro gym owner to 22 states in four years, federal prosecutors said Thursday.
Defendant Bruce Michael Wayne, of Murfreesboro, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to conspiracy to distribute Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), distribution of GBL and money laundering, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul O'Brien during a press conference in Nashville. Wayne failed to show up for his sentencing hearing two months ago and is considered a fugitive, O'Brien said.
U.S. Attorney Jim Vines said co-defendant Douglas Mills, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to distribute GBL, distribution of GBL and 13 counts of money laundering. He faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced Sept. 19. Both men agreed to forfeit $1 million each in drug proceeds to the U.S. government, the prosecutors said.
Eight other defendants were charged for distribution, and four defendants were charged with interstate shipping. More charges are anticipated.
GBL is an industrial solvent, similar to Gamma Hydroxybutyric (GHB) acid, a Schedule I drug that was banned by the federal Food and Drug Administration in 1990. GHB is most commonly known as the "date rape" drug.
When drunk, GBL is converted in the body to GHB, a drug promoted as a sleep aid, sexual stimulant and steroid alternative. GBL claims to build muscles, enhance physical performance, enhance sex, reduce stress, induce sleep and intoxicate. "One capful of GBL will put you in a very deep sleep for four hours," O'Brien said.
The investigation began when DEA and FDA agents in Detroit learned of people becoming ill after consuming products with GBL. The investigation showed Wayne supplied a health food store in Detroit with GBL, which resulted in an indictment against Wayne.
DEA agents, along with Murfreesboro Police and Rutherford County sheriff's detectives, arrested Wayne Jan. 28, 2004 in Murfreesboro. He gave agents consent to search a storage unit at 1020 S. Church St. where they recovered 93 cases of GBL equal to 284 gallons of GBL. That GBL was destined for customers throughout the United States," O'Brien said.
This was a record seizure of GBL, which significantly decreased the nationwide supply, the DEA reported. The investigation showed Wayne typically paid $10,000 for 50 cases or 600 bottles of GBL per month, O'Brien said. Each bottle sold for $43. A capful is considered a dose.
Proceeds amounted to about $25,800 per month for each of the 50 cases. "That's a lot of money," O'Brien said.
Vines said the investigation showed Mills supplied Wayne with GBL shipments since 1999, the same year the FDA issued a warning about the dangers of the product. "After receiving shipments of GBL from Mills, Wayne regularly distributed the GBL to individuals throughout the United States," Vines reported.
Mills obtained drums of GBL and stored it in an Atlanta warehouse. After Wayne placed an order with Mills, Mills would mix GBL with additives, bottle it and ship it to Wayne. It was disguised as janitorial supplies.
Wayne sold GBL to health food stores, gyms and individuals in 22 states. "Many of the body builders took this as an alternative to steroids," O'Brien said.
O'Brien didn't know the extent of distribution in Middle Tennessee. When asked if Wayne sold from his former Murfreesboro gym, O'Brien replied, "Nothing in the public record speaks to that." Wayne's customers mailed money orders and cashier's checks as payment, which Wayne deposited in bank accounts in Nashville. Agents from the Internal Revenue Service and DEA followed the money trail.
After the press conference, both Murfreesboro Police Chief Glenn Chrisman and sheriff's Chief Deputy Virgil Gammon noted one detective from each department serves on the DEA task force. Chrisman said the partnership allows the department to reach beyond Murfreesboro "to make a more powerful impact."
Gammon said the task force takes investigations to a higher level. "It's invaluable to have a man assigned," Gammon said. "The sheriff (Truman Jones) is committed to that." DEA Agent in Charge of Tennessee Harry S. Sommers said the task force improves communications and resources between federal, state and local agencies.
"None of us are all that large we can make large significant cases like this by ourselves," Sommers said. "Task force officers take the lead."
1 3 - 1 0 - 2 0 0 5 Ohio man pleads guilty in plot to distribute drug ingredient
AP NASHVILLE, Tenn. - An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to distribute 284 gallons of the main ingredient used in date rape drugs and steroids. Gabe Reitter, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Robert Echols. Officials with the U.S. attorney's office in Middle Tennessee said the January 2004 seizure of Gamma-Butyrolactone (GBL) that led to Reitter's arrest was one of the largest in the country. Authorities found that Reitter had been receiving shipments of GBL from Murfreesboro since 2000. They say he sold the ingredient to individuals in the Columbus area. Reitter's supplier, Bruce Michael Wayne, was arrested in January 2004 after agents confiscated more than 1,000 32-ounce bottles of GBL. Wayne pleaded guilty, but is currently a fugitive. Reitter also was convicted of distributing nearly 1,000 dosage units of anabolic steroids, which he shipped to Murfreesboro. The investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service and the Food and Drug Administration resulted in charges against 14 people nationwide, the U.S. attorney's office said. 2 8 - 0 7 - 2 0 0 5 Alleged Petaluma 'Date Rape' Drug Dealers Indicted
CBS 5 Four people have been indicted by a federal grand jury in San Francisco on charges of conspiring to manufacture and sell a drug similar to GHB, the so-called "date rape drug." The defendants are Thomas Miller, 35, of Santa Rosa; Rima Hawkins, 27, of Petaluma; and Sandor Lakatos, 37, and Barbara Shepard, 36, both of west Sacramento. Miller, described by Petaluma police as a personal trainer, was arrested at a Petaluma package delivery store on June 25 as he picked up a 56-kilogram metal container of the drug Gamma Butyrolactone, or GBL, shipped from China. Petaluma police said the container held about 70,000 doses of GBL. GBL is an analogue of Gamma Hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, and has similar effects, according to court documents filed in the case. GHB, a controlled substance, is known as the "date rape" drug because it causes drowsiness or unconsciousness and reduces inhibitions. It is also sometimes employed by steroid users to offset negative effects of steroids. Miller was originally charged in state court by Sonoma County prosecutors with possessing the drug for sale, but was arrested by federal agents on July 18, the day before he was due in Sonoma County Superior Court for a preliminary hearing. Shepard and Lakatos were arrested at Shepard's house in west Sacramento on July 13 as they awaited delivery of a separate 54-kilogram container of the drug shipped from China. All four defendants are due to be arraigned on the indictment before a federal magistrate in San Francisco today. 2 8 - 0 7 - 2 0 0 5 Bodybuilder on 101 drug charges
STUFF Millions of dollars of the euphoric drug fantasy were imported into New Zealand and sold by champion bodybuilder Justin Rys, a depositions hearing at Wellington District Court has been told. Rys, 29, a Waikanae company director and bodybuilder, faces 101 charges of importing fantasy, three of money laundering, conspiring to supply fantasy, supplying the drug, possession of it and wilfully attempting to obstruct the course of justice. A co-offender, Arabella Tyler-Wright, pleaded guilty at the beginning of the hearing to one charge of assisting Rys and another man, Robert Stark, to evade arrest. She was remanded on bail till September 23 for sentencing. Crown prosecutor Grant Burston said Rys and Stark imported litres of fantasy from Romania, hidden in wine bottles and tins of canned vegetables. He said international couriers were used to bring the drug into New Zealand, where it sells for $5 to $10 for a millilitre. Users take 3ml to 4ml of the colourless, odourless drug at a time. It has a sedative and euphoric effect. An overdose could led to convulsions, nausea, coma and death. Rys and Stark had it sent to Kapiti addresses, using false names, or picked it up from the couriers' depot. Mr Burston said police believed 165 litres of the drug was successfully imported with a street value of between $1.6 and $2.1 million. He said Rys bought two cars, a $12,000 BMW and a $39,000 Mercedes, with mainly cash and credit cards during the time of the police operation. A Wellington pharmacist sold small medicine bottles to Rys. A flatmate of Stark's recalled seeing him and Rys pouring liquid into the bottles. He said he was unhappy about it and got ready to ask Stark to leave after finding several of the wine bottles in Stark's room. Stark and Rys trained together at a gym and had become friendly. Matthew Phear, who knew Rys through a gym, said he had bought GHB – another name for fantasy – from Rys. The drug cost $5 per millilitre and he would buy 3ml to 5ml or sometimes up to 12ml at a time. Mr Phear said he opened a bank account at Westpac and deposited money from Rys, sometimes as a bank cheque and sometimes cash. He said he understood he would get any interest. By the time police investigated there was more than $86,000 in the account. He told defence lawyer Paul Paino that he did not believe the money was from anything illegal, though he had thought it might be a way to avoid paying tax. The case continues. 2 9 - 0 7 - 2 0 0 5 Drugs 'smuggled in artichoke tins', court told
STUFF The drug fantasy arrived in New Zealand in Romanian wine bottles and canned vegetable tins and was distributed by champion bodybuilder Justin Rys, a court was told yesterday.
Company director Rys, 29, faces 108 charges of importing fantasy, supplying and possessing the drug, money laundering, conspiracy to supply the drug and attempting to obstruct the course of justice. The Crown alleges Rys imported more than $1 million of the euphoric drug, which is swallowed as a liquid, between October 2003 and December 2004. It is worth between $5 and $10 a millilitre. A friend of Rys, whose name is suppressed, told the depositions hearing at Wellington District Court that he met him and became involved in the importing. He said he had initially bought things from Rys like steroids and GBL, or fantasy, before he got to know him. As they became friends he did more, like providing addresses where courier companies were to deliver packages and picking up the goods from the courier company's depot. He said Rys would keep track of the packages on the internet by a track and trace number. When the packages arrived in New Zealand, Rys arranged for them to be picked up rather than delivered to the addresses. The man said he used GBL himself, up to 30ml a day. He got involved because Rys would give him 100ml from each shipment. Some of the packages had two wine bottles in them, some up to 12. Later the drug came in tins packaged as artichoke hearts but he said they went back to bottles after some of the tins were damaged in transit and the liquid leaked. He said if he picked up the packages he would store them at his flat. At one point he had 40 to 50 bottles stored. Some packages were intercepted by customs and he said Rys knew from following the track and trace numbers. He used either his own computer or later an Internet cafe to prevent being discovered. Rys would text him on one of several cellphones when he wanted a pickup made. A Westpac bank officer said he knew Rys and had bought protein powders from him. He helped Rys wire money overseas. All the money went to China. ESR scientist Jan Siegers said she received for testing 144 glass bottles, 46 empty. In 62 was a pale yellow liquid and in 36 a reddish liquid. In both, GBL was detected. She agreed with defence lawyer Paul Paino that she had not tested how much GBL was in the liquid or its purity. The case is expected to end today. 2 7 - 0 8 - 2 0 0 5 Worcester officers indicted on drug charges
AP WORCESTER, Mass. --Two Worcester police officers were charged Thursday with running a drug trafficking ring that allegedly distributed a date rape drug. Officers Brian Benedict, 33, and Heriberto Arroyo, 36, were named in a six count federal indictment that also charged the owner of a Worcester health supplement store and another man. Benedict, Arroyo and Thomas Vigliatura, owner of T. Vig's Sports Supplements Unlimited, were arrested Wednesday. Authorities are seeking a fourth suspect, Matthew A. McLaughlin, 33, of Kittery Point, Maine. The indictment charges the men with one count of conspiring to distribute the controlled substances GHB, also known as the date-rape drug, and a GHB derivative called GBL. Vigliatura, Benedict and Arroyo also are charged with one count of conspiring to possess cocaine and Ecstasy. Four other counts additionally charge Vigliatura with possessing with intent to distribute, and distributing, GHB or GBL. The indictment alleges the activities took place between summer 2000 and summer 2004. No pleas were entered in U.S. District Court in Boston. The case will be transferred to federal court in Worcester, where the defendants will be arraigned. Stephen Hrones, an attorney for Arroyo, said his client was innocent. "He's an 11-year veteran with a spotless record," Hrones said. "He vehemently asserts his innocence." Arroyo and Benedict were released on $10,000 unsecured bond; Vigliatura was being held, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Both officers have been placed on administrative leave without pay, said Worcester deputy chief Paul Campbell. Benedict's lawyer, John Fisher, did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Vigliatura did not have a lawyer with him in court. North police log
The Tribune-Review David M. Spring, 27, of Babcock Boulevard, Ross, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Aug. 11 before West View District Justice Richard Opiela on charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to Ross police, Spring was arrested April 4 after officers responded to a report of a drug overdose at Spring's home. Officers said Spring told them the victim drank GBL -- an industrial solvent that has effects similar to GHB, a performance-enhancing drug that also acts as a euphoric and a hallucinogenic -- believing it was water. A search of the house turned up GBL, OxyContin and 150 anabolic steroid pills. A charge of possession of steroids was withdrawn. 0 8 - 1 1 - 2 0 0 5 Rose Jr. pleads guilty to distributing drug
AP NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Pete Rose Jr., the son of baseball’s all-time hits leader, pleaded guilty Monday to charges that he distributed GBL, a drug sometimes sold as a steroid alternative, to his minor league teammates. The 35-year-old Rose appeared before a federal judge and said nothing but “yes, sir” when asked if he understood the charges and his plea. Rose could be sentenced to 21 to 24 months in federal prison and fined up to $1 million under terms of his deal with prosecutors, Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul O’Brien said. Rose is free on his own recognizance until the Feb. 20 sentencing hearing. “This is a tragedy. Anyone who knows this young man knows he is a very, very fine young man,” Rose’s attorney, Jeffrey Brodey, said outside the federal courthouse. “The use of this stuff is common. It’s used as a sleep aid by many people in sports. It was legal. And he got caught in a time warp because it was legal up until 2000. He came forward and immediately confessed and accepted his responsibility.” Brodey and Rose refused to answer questions from reporters before driving away in a sport utility vehicle. The Drug Enforcement Administration said Rose’s arrest was part of a larger investigation into a major GBL trafficking organization. Rose surrendered to authorities shortly before he entered his guilty plea. The indictment said Rose admitted he received GBL from a person in Tennessee while a member of the Chattanooga Lookouts, the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. He also said he supplied half the players on that team with the drug. Rose said his teammates would take GBL to “wind down” after games, DEA spokesman Rusty Payne said. Lookouts assistant general manager John Maedel said Rose was on the Chattanooga roster in 1997, 2001 and 2002, and the team is aware of the story. “We don’t know anything about it and can’t comment,” he said. Reds spokesman Rob Butcher added: “We do not comment on active law enforcement investigations.” According to evidence presented to Judge Robert Echols, Rose began purchasing GBL in July 2001, receiving about five cases from July 2001 to May 2002. Rose told investigators he was using it as a sleep aid because he had been having trouble with some knee injuries. Rose also admitted to selling the drug. GBL, or gamma butyrolactone, is sold under the counter at retailers and gyms with claims to build muscle, improve physical performance, enhance sex, reduce stress and induce sleep. When taken orally, GBL is converted to the “date-rape” drug GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyrate. “It’s really more of a recreational drug that people use to give them a high, take the edge off,” said Dr. Todd R. Schlifstein, a sports rehab physician at New York University Medical Center’s Rusk Institute. “People who use steroids use this drug as well. A lot of times power lifters, weight lifters will use it.” Schlifstein said the drug can have dramatic side effects, including seizures and death. O’Brien said GBL products were legal and sold in health food stores until they were banned in 2000. The chemical was used as an industrial solvent and was “never intended for human consumption,” he said. Rose Jr. has not been involved with the Reds’ organization since playing nine games in the minors in 2002. Rose played most of his career in the minor leagues, but made it to the majors for 11 games with the Reds in 1997. Last season he played for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. Pete Rose Sr. holds the major league record of 4,256 hits. He agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989 following an investigation that he bet on games; after 14 years of denying it, he admitted in his autobiography that he bet on Reds games while managing them in the late 1980s. Rose Sr. served a five-month sentence in federal prison in 1990 and 1991 for filing false tax returns by not declaring income he received from signing autographs, memorabilia sales and gambling. The GBL investigation began in 1999 and has included one of the largest seizures of GBL in U.S. history. DEA agents seized about 280 gallons of GBL from a storage unit in Murfreesboro in January 2004. Further investigation revealed that Murfreesboro resident Bruce Michael Wayne was a nationwide distributor of the drug. The DEA learned Wayne was supplying Rose Jr. with the drug and that Rose was distributing it to teammates, Payne said. Wayne was arrested by DEA agents in January 2004 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute GBL and money laundering charges. But Wayne failed to appear for sentencing and is a fugitive. O’Brien said the nationwide investigation began when several people became ill after using GBL products purchased in health food stores in Detroit. A search of Wayne’s belongings revealed thousands of invoices, including some for Rose, O’Brien said. Authorities said Rose would order the drugs through an associate, who would then get them from Wayne. To date, the investigation has resulted in charges against 18 other people and seizure of more than $1.2 million in drug proceeds, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. 1 6 - 1 2 - 2 0 0 5 Lauderdale attorney charged with drug trafficking, possession
Police make arrest after receiving anonymous tip in fax
By Tonya Alanez The state attorney's office filed six felony charges against a Fort Lauderdale attorney Wednesday, saying he trafficked in the drug gamma-Butyrolactone, or GBL, and possessed ketamine, cocaine and anabolic steroids. Police arrested Philip David Irish, 26, after an anonymous tip was faxed to Broward Crime Stoppers. Fort Lauderdale police intercepted a package from Slovenia addressed to Irish and containing a kilogram of GBL in a bottle labeled "Magic Stripper" paint thinner. The tipster said traffic came and went at all hours from Irish's Broward Boulevard condo and that he was selling narcotics, which he kept in a metal box on his dresser, to other attorneys, according to court filings. Irish declined to comment and referred inquiries to his attorney, Joshua Fisher, of North Miami Beach, who said he did not have enough information about the government's case to comment. When police searched Irish's condo they discovered a variety of orange and yellow pills, baggies of crushed pills and powders, and vials of steroids, according to court filings. They arrested him last month. GBL, a colorless, oily liquid, is a central nervous system depressant, and ketamine is legally used as an animal tranquilizer, said Jeannette Moran, spokeswoman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In June, Irish began working as an independent contractor for the Fort Lauderdale law firm Hagen & Hagen. "My jaw's on the ground," Kevin Hagen, a partner in the firm, said Thursday. "He doesn't seem to be that kind of a person." Hagen said he and his partner would take action to distance their office from "such a surprising revelation." 1 2 - 0 2 - 2 0 0 6 Fantasy over for Mr NZ
11 February 2006
Justin Rys had it all. Money, fast cars, a plush pad and the best physique drugs could buy. The former Mr New Zealand and Mr Oceania lived a luxury lifestyle and claimed to be the inspiration for the gorilla model in Peter Jackson's film King Kong. But Rys – who was considered the Mr Big of the Wellington fantasy scene and the man who created the market for the drug – saw his life come crashing down on Wednesday when he became part of New Zealand's biggest conviction for importing the drug. With an estimated value of up to $2.1 million, the drug was brought into New Zealand from eastern Europe in wine bottles and vegetable tins. International courier firms were used to send the drug to Kapiti addresses selected at random and the packages were tracked on the Internet. Rys and his co-offender Robert Stark intercepted the packages at the courier company. They switched their supply source from Romania to Moldova when they thought New Zealand Customs was on their trail. The vegetable tins were used briefly but leaked, and were discarded in favour of the wine bottles. Fantasy [= GBL - red.] sells on New Zealand streets for about $25 a 5ml "hit" and is popular in both the nightclub – where it is considered the cheapest way to get a high – and bodybuilding scenes. It has also been implicated in drug-rape. After Rys was arrested, supply dried up in Wellington till another group moved in to take his place. Rys, 29, of Waikanae, pleaded guilty in the High Court at Wellington on Wednesday to 11 charges of importing the class B drug fantasy and one of money laundering, relating to more than $85,000 found in a friend's bank account. The drug charges were representative of more than 100 incidents and related to 47.7 litres of fantasy imported between October 2003 and December 2004. It is believed Rys and associates imported at least 165 litres more before getting caught. Customs seizures for all of last year netted just 20 litres and Rys' importation has been exceeded only by a recent seizure of more than 200 litres of the drug in Whangarei. It was not Rys' first drug-related conviction – he was convicted of importing growth hormones from China in May 2004 and was given a six-month suspended sentence. Seven months later, he was arrested in Taupo and charged with more than 100 counts of importing the drug. Stark pleaded guilty to 14 charges of importing fantasy shortly after and was sentenced to four years' jail. His partner, Arabella Tyler-Wright, pleaded guilty to helping Stark and was sentenced to 180 hours' community work. A man who says his family has been wrecked by fantasy bought from Rys said he hoped the "scumbag" would "get everything he deserves". The charges carry a maximum penalty of 14 years' jail. However, many associates believe Rys' health – already poor from years of drug abuse – will suffer even more in jail. Some doubt he can survive long. Rys will be sentenced on March 3. 0 3 - 0 3 - 2 0 0 6 Bodybuilder jailed over drug smuggling
03 March 2006 Addiction to the drug fantasy led to former Mr New Zealand bodybuilder Justin Rys being jailed for 10½ years today. Rys, aged 29, of Wellington, was described in the High Court at Wellington as the "mastermind" behind New Zealand's largest fantasy importation ring. He earlier pleaded guilty to 11 charges of importing a total of 207 litres of the Class B drug gamma-butyrolactone - also known as GBL and rinse - in 98 shipments to New Zealand between October 2003 and December 2004 and one charge of money laundering. The drugs, which the Crown estimated to be worth between $1.8 million and $2.1 million, were smuggled from Romania and Moldova in wine bottles and cans of vegetables. Crown prosecutor Grant Burston said Rys was the mastermind behind a sophisticated drug operation which involved the drugs being send by international courier to fictitious names and addresses. The movement of the packages was monitored on internet tracking systems. Defence lawyer Paul Paino disputed Rys was the mastermind behind the ring. His associate and fellow Wellington body builder Robert John Stark was jailed for four years in April for his involvement. Stark had made a "self-serving statement" to police about Rys' involvement, he said. "It's not surprising his co-offender tried to maximise Rys' responsibility and minimise his own." Rys - who also held the titles of Junior Mr Australasia, Mr Gold Coast and Mr Oceania - initially took fantasy to further his career, not as a recreational drug, Mr Paino said. Fantasy was legal until May 2002 when it became a class B controlled drug. "At the point of the law change, he was addicted to it." Rys' guilty plea avoided a lengthy and costly trial which would have seen more than 100 witnesses called. AdvertisementAdvertisementSince his arrest, Rys had attended regular counselling sessions and adhered to strict bail conditions which included a curfew and drug testing. Mr Paino disputed the police estimates the drugs were worth between $5 and $10 per millilitre, and said $3 per millilitre was more likely because of the large quantities involved. However, Justice Alan Mackenzie said quantity was a more important factor than value because it was a new drug. The total drugs imported - including 9kg in powder form - was the equivalent of more than 53,000 doses. "These drugs are very harmful substances," he said. Fantasy affected the central nervous system and overdoses could be fatal. The drug had also been used in date rapes. Although reports suggested withdrawal from fantasy addiction was worse than heroin, Justice Mackenzie said addiction was no more reason for importing drugs than greed. "Your offending went far beyond anything that could be excused by that. This was not importation to feed your own addiction." Rys had been importing fantasy while serving a suspended sentence for importing steroids, a prohibited medicine. From a starting point of 13½ years, Justice Mackenzie gave Rys a three-year discount for pleading guilty and declined Crown requests he impose a minimum non-parole period. "Your fall from grace and the attending publicity will carry with them their own punishment for you."
Benedict guilty in drug case
By Milton J. Valencia WORCESTER— A former police officer who pleaded guilty to aiding a drug ring will testify against his co-defendants, including a fellow police officer, according to federal court records. Brian W. Benedict, 36, of Auburn, was scheduled for sentencing in U.S. District Court today, but the hearing was postponed until after the co-defendants’ trials, scheduled for October. Mr. Benedict had been a police officer for 10 years, but resigned soon after he was named in a six-count indictment alleging the drug ring distributed GHB, an illegal muscle enhancer used on the streets as a rave drug. It is known as Liquid G, and when administered in significant doses can be used as a date rape drug. Mr. Benedict pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute GHB and conspiring to possess cocaine and Ecstasy. Police Officer Heriberto Arroyo, 36, faces the same charges. He has pleaded not guilty, and has been placed on administrative leave. Matthew McLaughlin, 36, a bodybuilder from Maine and the alleged supplier for the ring, is charged with conspiring to distribute GHB.
Thomas J. Vigliatura, 36, of Worcester, the alleged leader of the ring, was charged in all six counts of the indictment, including four charges of distribution of GHB. Mr. Vigliatura, who owned a nutrition supplement store in Worcester, is in jail awaiting trial. Mr. McLaughlin had been free on bail but was detained after he tested positive for steroids. Mr. Arroyo is free on bail. Mr. Benedict’s testimony in the government’s case against his three co-defendants had been expected since it was revealed that he cooperated with federal agents last summer. He had already been indicted, but the document was sealed and the charges were not made public. But the defendants knew about the ongoing federal investigation, according to federal court documents and transcripts. Mr. Vigliatura had allegedly made threats to kill the prosecutor in the case, and said he would flee, according to court testimony. Mr. Benedict, already aware of the federal investigation, reported the threats to authorities. John C. Fisher, Mr. Benedict’s lawyer, said his client realized then that Mr. Vigliatura’s talk had grown too serious, and that he felt an obligation to report the threats. Mr. Benedict wore a wire during conversations with Mr. Vigliatura, and worked with agents recording the threats. Mr. Benedict’s cooperation was instrumental in the government’s case to keep Mr. Vigliatura detained, with prosecutors arguing he would be a threat to safety and a flight risk if released before trial. Mr. Benedict never signed a plea agreement when he agreed to plead guilty, according to lawyers in the case. But recently filed court documents show that the government will consider his testimony against his co-defendants in determining his sentence. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiring to distribute GHB, and a year for conspiring to possess cocaine and Ecstasy. 2 9 - 0 9 - 2 0 0 6 Jailed muscleman uses web to sell 'convict gear' line
Stuff.co.nz Champion bodybuilder turned inmate Justin Rys, serving 10½ years for importing the drug Fantasy, has a new money-making scheme from behind bars: "Convict gear".
Rys – who says he cannot use weights and is lifting other inmates to maintain his hulking 120-kilogram frame – is selling muscle singlets and hoodies on his website, emblazoned with the logo "Convict Gear" and a picture of a muscleman breaking out of bars. At a cost of $65 for a hoodie, the gear is not cheap, but appears to be popular with his online forum of bodybuilding friends. The former Mr New Zealand and Mr Oceania, who said he consumed up to a litre of fantasy a week, admitted 11 charges of importing the drug in February. He also admitted one count of money laundering, relating to more than $85,000 found in a friend's bank account. Since being sentenced in March, Rys has continued to post on his website under the name Big Kiwi. The bodybuilder, who has claimed he was the model for Peter Jackson's King Kong, says he is struggling to maintain his bulk with no weights allowed in jail. He has dropped from 135kg to 120kg, but proudly reported this month his arms are still 21 inches (half a metre) around. A friend reported he used a towel with two men holding on to do back pulls, shoulder pressing the largest man he can find with another pressing down to create more weight. Last month Rys wrote on the site: "Have also figured out how do it heavy squats. One person on my shoulders, another person stands on top of them holding on to wall. Got up to about 230 kgs so far, better than nothing, still far too light though!!" He told his fans he is studying business management inside, "and even got some A's". The Corrections Department said there was no law prohibiting prisoners running a business while behind bars – but they were not allowed to use prison resources or employ other inmates. "Prisoners may be constrained in their ability to enjoy the fruits of their business as they can hold a maximum of $200 in their trust accounts and they have a maximum spending limit of $60 a week," a statement said. National MP Simon Power said New Zealanders might be surprised at Rys' freedom. "Most New Zealanders have the view that when you're in prison you're deprived of your liberties." |
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