Former Sciroxx Domestic Remailer Goes to Prison

A former domestic remailer for the underground steroid laboratory (UGL) known as Sciroxx has been sentenced to 33 months in prison by the United States District Court in Providence. In November 2012, Edmond Paolucci pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, one count of possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, one count of distribution of a misbranded drug and two counts of money laundering.

The 54-year old Rhode Island resident admitted to importing a variety of bodybuilding drugs from his boss in Israel. The drugs were shipped from Israel, Turkey and Bulgaria and included anabolic steroids,   human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), Arimidex (anastrozole), Serpafar (Clomid) and Nolvadex.

Paolucci was busted on November 15, 2011. The Rhode Island FDA Task Force used Western Union and Moneygram money transfer records to link Paolucci to approximately $76,000 in funds that he wired back to Sciroxx in Israel. 

Federal investigators worked with their Israeli counterparts to learn more about the Sciroxx anabolic steroid distribution network. Yet, the mastermind behind the Sciroxx operation has continued to elude law enforcement officials at home and abroad. While the feds were able to shut down one domestic remailer, other Sciroxx remailers have taken its place in the intervening 18 months as the Sciroxx network continues to thrive domestically and internationally.

Even though federal authorities were unable to stop Sciroxx, they obtained valuable information from Paolucci about how Sciroxx steroids were being imported into the United States for distribution. Paolucci and his co-conspirators in the United States were responsible for receiving bulk quantities of oral steroids and injectable steroids. The injectable steroids were mailed in giant 650-milliliter “jugs”. 

In addition to being a remailer, Paolucci was responsible for repackaging the injectable steroids into retail-size 10-milliliter vials and repackaging oral steroids in 100-unit individual pouches. He then added the Sciroxx brand (and apparently also Xsorox brand) labels to the vials and pouches.

The arrest, conviction and incarceration of Paolucci may be lauded by law enforcement as a success in the U.S. war on steroids. But bodybuilders in the United States noticed little disruption in the black market supply of anabolic steroids, in general, and Sciroxx-brand steroids, in particular. The steroids are still winning.

Source:

Associated Press. (April 9, 2013). RI man gets 33 months for steroid smuggling. Retrieved from //www.boston.com/news/local/rhode-island/2013/04/09/man-gets-months-for-steroid-smuggling/7vb3Bs9pa03sGxTZeER2jL/story.html