FL Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Steroids Charges

Richard Thomas of Lakeland, FL pleaded guilty this week to a federal charge of possession of steroids with intent to distribute. Thomas claims he sold steroids to professional athletes including members of the Washington Capitols hockey team and the Washington Nationals baseball team.

Thomas faces up to five years in prison for the charge.

Prosecutors say that Thomas had hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of anabolic steroids in his home last spring when law enforcement set up a sting. Federal agents intercepted a suspicious package in Philadelphia in May. The package was from Slovakia and addressed to “Mahlon” Thomas in Lakeland.

Agents placed a beacon on the package to alert them if it was opened. The alert was triggered within five minutes of delivery to Thomas’ home. Thomas was the only person at the home. Detectives searched the home and found large quantities of steroids, firearms, packaging labels, blister packs full of Valium, a digital scale and books about steroids among other things.

Thomas ultimately told investigators that he bought steroids from China, Russia, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries and that he was the biggest steroid provider in Central Florida. Thomas claims to have sold the drugs primarily to professional athletes.