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[Definitie:] "An ergogenic aid is any substance or phenomenon that enhances performance."
(Wilmore and Costill) 
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0 1 - 0 2 - 2 0 0 5 Steroid trafficking case has La Crosse ties
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
MADISON — A Bulgarian national who was extradited to Madison from Thailand pleaded not guilty Monday to federal steroid trafficking charges.
Spartak V. Todorov, 31, appeared in U.S. District Court to face a five-count indictment alleging that he and a Chinese man distributed anabolic steroids through a network that included a La Crosse man.
Despite the seriousness of the charges against him, U.S. Attorney J.B. Van Hollen acknowledged that Todorov could end up leaving the United States without serving time in prison.
Todorov was indicted by a grand jury in Madison in November 2003 after an investigation that started in April 2003, when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials intercepted a parcel in New York intended for the La Crosse man. The parcel contained 5,000 tablets of methandrostenolone steroids.
Federal agents and La Crosse police raided the man's home about a week later and found an additional 7,000 steroid tablets, liquid steroids and other material. The man admitted he had been getting the steroids by mail from Todorov and re-mailing them to other customers in the United States.
Todorov's alleged supplier, Kenneth Chen, who lives in China, was indicted on one count of steroid trafficking and remains a fugitive, Van Hollen said. The chances of extraditing Chen from China are remote, he said.
The La Crosse man, who was not identified, so far has not been charged.
The reason the case was pursued, Van Hollen said, was not necessarily to see Todorov get a long prison sentence but to send a message about the health effects and illegality of steroids.
"We need to send a message that not only are they bad healthwise, but they are illegal and you could go to prison for that," Van Hollen said.
Madison Agents Bust Alleged International Steroid Ring
January 31, 2005
MADISON, Wis. -- After federal drug agents based in Madison infiltrated a major international steroid operation, an alleged key player was charged in federal court in Madison Monday.
Senior athletic trainer at the UW's Sports Medicine Clinic, Dr. Tim McGuine, told News 3 this case should be on the radar of all parents, coaches, and school administrators. Children can find steroids easily on the Internet just by typing the word in Google, News 3 reported.
"The Web sites are not going to tell you about the bad things that can happen with steroids or supplements," McGuire said. "They're going to just say what wonderful things they can do, so it's like anything else, it's a buyer beware situation for parents and kids."
U.S. Attorney for Wisconsin's Western District, J.B. Van Hollen, said anyone buying steroids online will now think twice after the long arm of the law travelled to Thailand to arrest someone they believe was a key player on the other side of the Web.
"We're certainly hoping it has a deterrent effect," Van Hollen said. "Once again, it's unfortunate we've got some of the youth in our society thinking steroids are a good thing to use to help their physical brawns, and we definitely want to send the message that this is troublesome, not only is is not good for your health, but it's illegal." Spartak Todorov, who was charged with five counts in Madison's federal court house Monday, probably had no inkling agents from Wisconsin would travel half way around the world to nab him in Thailand.
Kenneth Chen has has also been charged in Madison, but agents told News 3 there is no way they can get in to China to arrest him. According to a federal affidavit, Todorov would work with a co-conspirator in China.
The drugs would be flown from Shanghai to New York City. Large amounts were then being shipped to a consumer in La Crosse, who would sell them in Texas, Washington and other parts of the country.
Agents said some of the money would then be sent to a position in Pretoria, South Africa. It's all part of our global economy -- available right now in your study, basement, or whereever your home computer sits, News 3 reported.
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