Operator Of Clandestine Steroid Lab In Compton Sentenced To Three Years In Federal Prison
LOS ANGELES, CA - A man who manufactured anabolic steroids at a clandestine laboratory in Compton - one of the largest underground steroid labs ever found in the United States - and distributed the steroids via the Internet, was sentenced today to three years in federal prison.
Warren Abramson, 33, who at the time of his arrest last September was residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner.
Abramson pleaded guilty in January to five federal charges: possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and three counts of possessing unregistered silencers.
When law enforcement authorities in 2007 executed a search warrant at Abramson’s residence in Compton, they discovered the clandestine lab and made one of the largest steroid seizures in history. In total, investigators recovered nearly 6.5 kilograms of anabolic steroids, which translates to more than a quarter million steroid doses, as well as vials and other packaging material for distributing the steroids.
“Steroid traffickers manufacture their drugs in very unsanitary conditions,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. Landrum. “As a result of the dangerous conditions surrounding these types of labs, young children can be exposed to large amounts of chemicals that are detrimental to their health and well being. Through the joint efforts of local, state and federal law enforcement, this drug trafficker will no longer be able to prey on our communities and damage the youth of America.”
Abramson was indicted by a federal grand last June. He was arrested in Las Vegas on September 17, 2010, by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as he attempted to purchase firearms.
According to court documents, the DEA, ATF, Torrance Police Department, and County of Los Angeles Department of Family and Children Services executed search warrants that led to the discovery of the steroid lab, as well as numerous firearms, three silencers, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
The case against Abramson is part of Operation Raw Deal, a nationwide effort initiated in 2007 by the DEA, officials with the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Operation Raw Deal targeted the global underground trade of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and insulin growth factor. The initiative resulted in 124 arrests and the seizure of 56 steroid labs across the United States. A total of 11.4 million steroid dosage units were seized, as well as 242 kilograms of raw steroid powder of Chinese origin. For further information on Operation Raw Deal, see http://www.justice.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr092407.html.
Steroid abuse comes with a high price. Potential negative side effects include: headaches, baldness, strokes, blood clots, high blood pressure, heart disease, nausea, bloating, impotence, reduced sperm count, aching joints, aggressive behavior, increased risk of tendon injuries, enlarged prostate, urinary and bowel problems, mood swings, liver damage, breast development, and severe acne. Some young people have even taken their own lives from depression caused by steroid abuse. Professional and amateur athletes worldwide have experienced the shame and embarrassment of steroid abuse. Athletic achievements worldwide are often tainted because there is so much speculation about steroid abuse.
