Your Steroid Resource

By Thomas Tracy

The pumped-up Halloween pumpkins adorning the windows of Lowen’s Pharmacy did little to scare away state investigators raiding a simple-looking neighborhood drug store that officials allege may be part of an illegal nation-wide steroid distribution ring.

As this paper went to press, a grand jury was set to determine if the pharmacy, which has sat at 6902 3rd Avenue for decades, is responsible for playing a part in a widespread conspiracy where people were illegally receiving human growth hormone and anabolic steroids.

This conspiracy spreads as far north as Albany, the investigation began, to Florida, where a similar pharmacy was recently raided, officials said.

Last week, investigators from the State Health Department’s Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement executed a search warrant on Lowen’s, where they seized $7.5 million worth of human growth hormone and anabolic steroids.

Investigators also seized the pharmacy’s client list, officials said. The list allegedly indicated that upwards of six members of the NYPD received steroids from the pharmacy for illegal uses.

An NYPD spokesman said that the six cops, which include a police captain, are allegedly being “investigated for the possible improper use of prescriptions to obtain anabolic steroids for non-medical, personal use.”

“Three of those six have been tested; another three are expected to be tested,” the spokesman said. “Results of the tests are pending.”

No arrests are anticipated, the spokesperson said.

“The officers’ conduct being investigated could result in disciplinary action,” he said.

It is unclear if any of the cops involved in the incident are from Bay Ridge’s 68th Precinct, although, according to published reports, many of the cops currently being tested exercised in a neighborhood Dolphin Health Club, which is frequented by many cops.

Officials said that a pharmacy employee was taken into custody during the raid, expected to be charged with diverting controlled substances.

He was later released by Kings County prosecutors, who said that they were preparing to present their case to the grand jury.

While it is not illegal for a pharmacy to provide steroids to a patient for medical purposes, they can only be obtained with a prescription.

It’s been alleged that the pharmacy may have been working with less-than scrupulous doctors who had written steroid prescriptions to patients with no medical need for them.

A good deal of the steroids and human growth hormone supplied by Lowen’s is used by body builders to enhance their athletic performance and “bulk up,” officials alleged.

State health officials told reporters that the raid was an “offshoot” of the Albany County District Attorney’s investigation into Signature Pharmacy, a Florida company whose client lists reportedly included many professional athletes.

When it was discovered that Lowen’s was allegedly connected with the Florida investigation, Albany detectives began looking into the neighborhood pharmacy’s activities.

This was the second time that investigators came to Lowen’s looking for steroids.

In May, officials seized up to $200,000 worth of steroids and performance enhancing drugs during an inspection. According to official reports, many of the steroids seized came from China.

Attorney Paul Aufrichtig, who is representing Lowen’s, said that the pharmacy owners were cooperating with the investigation.

The neighborhood store is not part of any criminal conspiracy, he said.

“Nobody has done anything illegal to my knowledge,” he said.