UNITED STATESDISTRICT COURT

SOUTIIERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA

CaseNo.9:20-c1--80049

UNITED STATES OF AM ERICA

VS.

LEONARD SHEM TOB and

STRONG SVPPLEM ENTS,LLC,

Defendants.

FACTUAL PROFFER

TheUnitedStatesofAmericaandDefendantsLeonarctShemtobandStrong

Supplements,LLC (the(tDefendants'')agreethatifthiscaseweretoproceedtotrial,the

governmentwouldprovebeyondareasonabledoubtthefollowingfacts.Theyfurtheragreethat

thesearenotal1thefactsthattheUnitedStateswouldproveifthecaseproceededtotrial, buture

sufficienttoproveaviolationofTitle21,UnitedStatesCode,Section846,aschargedinthe

infonuation.

From onoraboutDecember18,2014,through inoraroundM arch25,2015,inVanNuys

California,andelsewhere,LeonardShemtobandStrongSupplementsdidwillfully,thatis,with

theintenttofurtheranobjectoftheconspiracy,andknowinglycombine,conspire,confederate,

andagreewithPhillipBraun,AaronSingerman,BlackstoneLabs,LLC,andothersknowntothe

UnitedStatestodistributeSchedule111controlledsubstances, thatistheanabolicsteroids

dimethazine,methylstenbolone,andmethyl-l-etiocholenolol, asdefinedbyTitle21United

StatesCode,Section802(41)(A)andC(i)-(iii)inviolationofTitle21,UnitedStatesCode,

Sections841(a)(1)and841(b)(1)(E)(i).

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Case 9:20-cr-80049-WPD Document 30 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2021 Page 1 of 5
Duringthetim eperiodrelevanttothismatter,ShemtobownedandcontrolledStrong

SupplementsLLC(dçstrongSupplements''),acompanyincorporatedinDelawareandbasedin

California.Assoleowner,ShemtobactedwithinthescopeofhisauthorityindirectingStrong

Supplementsandcom panyagents.StrongSupplementssoldvariousproductstoconsumersthat

werem arketedasEsdietarysupplem ents.''Strong Supplementspurchasedtheseproductsfrom

othercoppanieswhomanufacturedordistributedthem .StrongSupplements'mostprofitable

productscontainedanabolicsteroids,includingitdesigner''anabolicsteroids, whichthe

Defendantsreferredtoasûoprohormones.''lnparticular,StrongSuppiementsrepeatedly

purchasedproductscontaininganabolicsteroidsfrom BlackstoneLabs,LLC (EdBlackstone

Labs''),acorporationlocatedinBocaRaton,Florida.

TheDefendantsbeganorderingproductsfrom BtackstoneLabsinoraround2013.

lnitially,theDefendantspurchasedtheseproductsdirectlyfrom RobertDiM aggio, anownerof

BlackstoneLabs.DiM aggiointroducedtheDefendantsviaemailtoPhiliip(ûPJ''Braun

(1kBraun'')andAaronSingerman(çdsingerman''),whoco-ownedBlackstoneLabs.Twoproducts

thattheDefendéntsrepeatedlypurchasedfrom BlacltstoneLabswerettsuperDM ZRX 2.0''and

(W lpha-lM ax.''TheDefendantsknew thatSuperDM ZRX 2.0containedtheactiveingredients

dimethazineandmethylstenbolone,twosyntheticdesignersteroids. TheDefendantsknew that

Alpha-lM axcontainedtheactiveingredientm ethyl-l-etiocholenolol,asyntheticdesigner

steroid.TheDefendantsrepeatedlypurchasedbothproductsfrom Blackstonçthroughöut20l3

and2014.

AsearlyasSeptem berof2014,theDefendantsknew thattheU.S.Congresswas

consiberinganew federallaw,H.R.4771,theDesignerAnabolicSteroidControlAct(also

knownasIYASCA'A),thatwouldamendtheFederalControledSubstancesActsothata1l

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Case 9:20-cr-80049-WPD Document 30 Entered on FLSD Docket 05/19/2021 Page 2 of 5
'=

designersterqidswouldbecontrolledsubstancessubjecttocriminalpenalties.Knowingthatthis

law wouldsignificantlyaffectStrong Supplem entsandBlackstpneLabs'business,Leonard

Shemtobmonitoredthelaw'spassageandsoughtoutalobbyingfirm toattempttodelayorstop

thelaw'spassage.Shemtobknew thatthelaw wouldbansubstancesthatweresubstantially

similartpanabolicsteroidslistedonSchedulel1IoftheControlledSubstancesAct.ln

September2014,Shemtobdescribedthelaw'seffectasbanningEûanythingthatûpromotesmuscle

rtl5NCtl1.'D'

TheDefendantsalsoreceivedaform alproposalfrom thelobbyingfirm ,whichproposed

aplantostopordelaytheenactmentofDASCA .Thelobbyingproposaldescribedthebill's

effectas(CexpandlingjthedefinitionofanabolicsteroidsintheControlledSubstancesActto

include25specificsubstancesandanydrugorhormonalsubstancethatisderivedfrom orhasa

chem icalstrgcturesubstantiallysim ilarto,oneormoreofthelistedanabolicsteroids.''Shemtob

emailedSingermanacopyofthelobbyingproposal.Shemtobalsojoinedatleastonetelephone

callwithBraun,Singerm an,andthelobbyingfirm duringwhichthesubstanceofDASCA was

discussed.Afterthephonccall,ShemtobwroteanemailtoSingermanwithasummaryoftheir

discussion,onoraroundOctober3,2014.Theemailsumm arynotedinpart,(tifthisbillpasses,

peoplewouldstillwantthesekindsofsupplem entsanditwouldforcem any companiesto

manufacturegjproductinnongmpcertifiedfacilitiesandpushongsicjthem ontheblackmarket.

M akingitveryriskyforindividualstobuythesetypesofproductsthatarem adeingaragesand

bathtubs.Thusitwouldbeadangertotheconsumer.''

AfterDASCA becameeffectiveonDecember18,2014,theDefendantscontinuedto

purchaseSuperDM Z 1tX 2.0andAlpha-lM axfrom BlackstoneLabsforStrong Supplements,

includinganorderplacedforbothproductsonoraroundM arch 11,2015.TheDefendantsknew

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thatthesateoftheseproductswasinviolationoftheControlledSubstancesActfollowingthe

passageofDASCA.Forexample,Shemtobemailedagroupofothersupplementretailersonor

aroundM archl2,2015,(drA.lfterthismonthwewillnolongerbesellingdesignergjgsteroids).

Basedonti'leinformationthathasbeencommunicatedtous,theyarenotjustenforcingthis

basedonthelistedcompounds,alldesignersfallwithinthescope.W ewillsellwhatwehave

leftandthenwearedonewiththem.''Shemtobthenplacedanotherorderforbothproductswith

BlackstoneLabsonbehalfofStrongSupplementsonM arch25,2015.

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Thegovernm entalsowouldprovebeyondareasonabledoubtthatStrongSupplements

andLeonardShemtobpurchasedmorethan 600bottlesofanabolicsteroidsfrom co-conspirators

anddistributedthem tocustom ersthroughouttheUnitedStates,witheachbottlecontaining60

capsules.

JUAN ANTONIO GONZALEZ

ACTING UNITED SYATESATTORNEY

GUSTAV W .EYLER

DIRECTOR

U.S.DEPARTM ENT OF JUSTICE

CONSUM ER PROTECTION BRANCH

Date:V,!j.z.-j'z.-..z-$

By: AL TAIR AD

JOHN BU

STEVEN GRIPKEY

TRIAL ATTORNEYS

U,S.DEPARTM ENT OF JUSTICE

Date:f i5 r-v/

/' IELBEHE ILIAx,EsQ.

ATTORNEY FoR DEFENDAXTS

.

*

Date. ZJ traz.! q t

LEONARD SHEM TOB

DEFENDANT

STRONG SUPPLEM ENTS,LLC

DEFENDANT

BY LEONARD SHEM TOB

lTSDULY AUTHORIZED

REPRESENTATIVE

.

.

'

Date: /3 &'t.J

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