ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A probation officer uncovered mass quantities of illegal steroids, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
The officer made the discovery June 26 while checking up on Russell Farrell, who has been on felony probation, at a St. Johns home, a Sheriff's Office report shows.
Farrell, 48, was arrested on a probation violation charge.
But the officer noted in the report that he found multiple types of anabolic steroids in multiple boxes and bottles.
Below is the list of anabolic steroids that the Sheriff's Office said were confiscated:
- 3 boxes of Boldenone Undecylenate
- 1 Trenbolone Mix
- 5 boxes of Nandro-Plex
- 1 bottle of Boldenone Undecylenate
- 39 boxes of Sustanon
- 1 bottle of Testosterone Cypionate
- 1 box of Testovorin Depot
- 5 boxes of Stanozolol
All but two types are considered illegal because they require a doctor’s prescription. The three boxes of Boldenone Undecylenate is what veterinarians use to treat horses. But medical professionals told News4Jax that it has been used and abused by people looking to gain bigger muscles.
DEA Special Agent Mike Mayer said the most common method of illegally obtaining anabolic steroids is via internet sites based outside the U.S.
“They’re shipped into the United States for people to consume or sell," Mayer said. "Traditionally, countries in Europe, Asia and Mexico are places where we are seeing the most steroids coming into the United Sates.”
But without a doctor’s prescription, he said, the side effects can be deadly.
“They range from oily skin and male pattern baldness, loss of libido, impotence, all the way to liver disease, enlargement of the heart," Mayer said. "So there are a lot of negative consequence for people who use steroids.”
When News4Jax asked the probation officer where the steroids came from, he said he couldn’t talk about it because the case is still under investigation.
News4Jax went to Farrell's home to ask about the case, but a woman inside said he was not there.
It’s worth noting that all the steroids on the list above are banned by most sports organizations.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic variations of the male hormone testosterone, which is used to medically treat muscle loss caused by certain diseases. In the medical field, they are called Anabolic-Androgenic steroids -- Anabolic refers to muscle building and Androgenic refers to increase male characteristics.