Man Indicted Over Alleged Sale of Steroids, 2 Other Drugs

A Thousand Oaks man was indicted Tuesday on charges of distributing and promoting an illegal drug that acts like a steroid by increasing muscle mass, federal authorities said.

Lawrence E. Wood faces an 11-count indictment handed down by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. Wood’s alleged business partner, Daniel R. Duchaine of Venice, faces similar charges, authorities said.

“We send a message, loud and clear, that the Department of Justice will not tolerate the production and sale of these illegal substances,” Acting U.S. Atty. Terree Bowers said in a prepared statement. “The health risk is just too great.”

If convicted, Wood could be sentenced to a maximum of 26 years in prison and fined $2 million, while Duchaine faces as much as 30 years in prison and $2.35 million in fines.

Bowers said he could not comment on whether Wood was taken into custody. Wood could not be reached for comment.

The indictment alleges that Wood was selling anabolic steroids as well as two prescription drugs known as clembuterol and GHB, or gamma-hydroxybutyrate, Bowers said.

Clembuterol is a drug used by veterinarians to increase muscle mass in pigs and cows, authorities said.

A black market has grown up around GHB, which is promoted as a substitute for anabolic steroids, according to court documents. The drug, which some people take to improve athletic performance, releases a growth hormone that increases metabolism, reduces body fat and induces sleep, authorities and documents said.

However, GHB, which is not approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration, may have a variety of side effects, the documents and Bowers said, including severe stomach pain, drops in blood pressure, slow heartbeat and vomiting.

Wood allegedly received orders for drugs through a company with an 800 telephone number, authorities said. He would forward the requests to Duchaine, who packaged and shipped them, authorities said.

The indictments culminated a long investigation by the Food and Drug Administration.

Wood was arrested on suspicion of possessing and selling drugs in December after federal, state and local agents raided his residence. However, he was not charged, and in March, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Allan L. Steele ordered sheriff’s deputies to return most of the property seized in the raid.

In the meantime, federal authorities said they continued to test the substances, such as GHB, found in Wood’s home. Bowers declined to comment on why the investigation took so long.