Police Say Steroid Supply Reduced Since Arrest : Drugs: Torrance authorities confirm fewer possession cases in the wake of seizing 50,000 doses of the substance used for muscle-building.

Authorities say they have reduced the supply of steroids in the South Bay since the apprehension of a Redondo Beach man who was convicted this week of marketing the illegal muscle-building drugs.

John Aldo Disanto, 31, faces up to three years in prison after his guilty plea Monday in South Bay Municipal Court to a single count of possession of steroids for sale. He will be sentenced June 12.

Redondo Beach police said that when they raided Disanto’s apartment overlooking King Harbor last September, they found more than 50,000 doses of various steroids in pills, syringes and powders. They also reported finding an AK-47 assault rifle, a shotgun, two pistols and $36,000 in cash.

“Once they took this guy down, the availability of steroids in that area dried up considerably,” said Joseph Kenney, a special agent with the California Department of Justice. Redondo Beach Police Sgt. Mike Minard confirmed that there have been fewer steroid possession arrests since Disanto was apprehended last year, but were unable to provide exact numbers.

The case against Disanto began last year, when a tipster told police that Disanto was selling steroids from his apartment.

When police went to the apartment Sept. 28, they said they saw a box of vials in plain view on the floor of Disanto’s Buick. Each was marked “Testosterone.”

Police returned with a warrant later that day and searched Disanto’s apartment.

Police said the muscular Disanto, 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, received and sold the drugs through the mail. He was an engineer for a Westlake Village firm.

Disanto initially claimed the drugs were for his personal use, authorities said. But if the case had gone to trial, Deputy Dist. Atty. Frank Duarte said he was prepared to call Kenney, an authority on steroids, to testify that Disanto had far more of the various drugs than he needed for himself.

Kenney said in an interview Wednesday that Disanto had enough steroids to last a single user years. Police found 528 10-milliliter bottles of the popular steroid testosterone cypionate, for instance, enough to last a single user at least 33 years, Kenney said.

Authorities also confiscated substantial quantities of seven other steroids and related drugs.