New Zealand Internet Source Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Supplying Clenbuterol and Steroids

A Kiwi internet source admitted in court to supplying performance- and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs) under the brand name, “APS”. The medicines, including clenbuterol and anabolic steroids, were manufactured in his own relatively large-scale underground laboratory (UGL). The bodybuilding drugs were openly and blatantly sold and marketed through an internet ecommerce website called clenbuterol.co.nz.

Josh Townshend was sentenced to two year imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to 129 violations of the New Zealand Medicines Act of 1981. The specific charges included four counts of advertising new medicines, 121 counts of selling a new medicine without the consent of the Minister of Health and four counts of possession of prescription medicine without reasonable excuse

Prosecutors estimated that Townshend sold as many as 2,100 ten-milliliter bottles of clenbuterol and 2,400 ten-milliliter vials of primarily injectable anabolic steroids in a single year. The annual turnover for his illicit steroid UGL was allegedly over $300,000 NZD ($206,000 USD).

Townshend had been supplying bodybuilding drugs over the internet for several years. He was even given a warning about his illicit actions by the NZ Ministry of Health in March 2013. But Townshend didn’t take the warning seriously and continued selling steroids on clenbuterol.co.nz.

Derek Fitzgerald, the compliance manager for the  New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority (Medsafe), informed the court that the distribution of steroids and other medicines that were manufactured in a UGL was a risky proposition.

"Townshend put the public's health at risk by supplying prescription medicines outside the regulatory system," Fitzgerald said. "That system was put in place to protect the public by assuring medicines met appropriate levels of safety, efficacy and quality."

In defense of Townshend, his attorney Josh Lucas argued that his client was insecure and sought “high living” in order to “impress everybody, including himself”. But since that period in his life, Townshend has become a changed man.

Lucas pointed out to Christchurch District Court Judge David Saunders that Townshend has severed ties with former associates involved with steroids and bodybuilding and he has regularly volunteered his time helping charitable organizations.

Additionally, Townshend has already offered a check for $47,000 to the Crown as the remains of his illicit profits from APS labs. Nevermind the fact that the High Court has already sought the forfeiture of the money as proceeds of crime.

Judge Saunders agreed that Townshend had taken a step in the right direction but his prior actions effectively gave the “one-finger salute” to the Court

Source:

NZ Herald. (May 10, 2017). Man jailed for two years after pleading guilty to 129 counts related to black-market steroid sales. Retrieved from http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11853208