10 Louisiana men sentenced for steroid drug trafficking
LAKE CHARLES, La.–Ten individuals were sentenced Friday for their involvement in a large-scale conspiracy to possess and distribute anabolic steroids in the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Texas and Louisiana, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, and the Louisiana State Police.
Bryce Thomas Meaux, 24; Christopher Keith Gass, 25; Tyler Jordan Kuykendall, 20; Shane Patrick Hinton, 23; all of Lake Charles, La.; Blake Meche, 25; of Rayne, La.; Canien Lee Matte, 24; Terry Duane Kuykendall, 24; both of Baton Rouge, La.; Troy Newton Broussard, 27; of Lafayette, La.; and Shane Keith Weekly, 24; of Lake Arthur, La., were all sentenced for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and the distribution of anabolic steroids. Christopher Keith Gass was also sentenced for money laundering. Daniel Kent Bosely, 24, of Lake Charles, La., was sentenced on Oct. 5 before Judge Minaldi. Two defendants remain to be sentenced. Ronald Lee Bert Fontenot, 23, of Eunice, La., will be rescheduled for sentencing at a later date, and Jordan Blake Berza, 26, of Lake Charles, La., is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 27.
According to court testimony, these individuals were involved in a drug trafficking organization responsible for receiving several hundred 10 milliliter vials of anabolic steroids, numerous packages of anabolic steroid cream, and approximately 35 kilograms of raw steroid powder, which had been shipped from China and Germany.
Once the internationally shipped packages of anabolic steroid powder were received by members of the organization, the powder was then converted into an injectable form, bottled and labeled for distribution, and sold. This drug trafficking organization sold anabolic steroids to individuals located in the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana and Texas. In total, approximately 7,000 10 milliliter vials of anabolic steroids were manufactured, possessed and distributed by this drug trafficking organization. More than 600 of the 10 milliliter vials of anabolic steroids were seized from members of the organization through undercover purchases, traffic stops and search warrants. Agents also seized hundreds of empty vials, caps, syringes, three clandestine laboratories, and approximately one kilogram of raw steroid powder.
Approximately $93,000.00 was seized from members of the organization, the majority of which came from bank seizures on accounts belonging to Jordan Berza and Christopher Gass, including $13,000 in cash seized from the residence of Berza. Berza was the co-owner of Planet Nutrition in Lake Charles with Christopher Gass; and the business was used as a distribution point for the anabolic steroids. Berza also delivered and mailed steroids to many of his distributors. All money seized by law enforcement from Berza's residence and financial accounts and registered to Berza and Gass represent drug proceeds from the sale of anabolic steroids.
"Seizures like these strike at the heart of criminal organizations by targeting the financial gain that enables their criminal enterprises to flourish," said Raymond R. Parmer, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in New Orleans. "This case is significant and highlights the cooperative effort of law enforcement working together to dismantle these dangerous organizations."
Individual sentences were as follows:
| Name | Sentence |
|---|---|
| Bryce Thomas Meaux | Two years in prison, a fine in the amount of $3,000 and three years supervised release. |
| Christopher Keith Gass | 18 months in prison, a fine in the amount of $2,000 and three years supervised release. |
| Blake Meche | One year, one day in prison and three years of supervised release. |
| Canien Lee Matte | Six months in prison, a fine in the amount of $5,000 and three years of supervised release. |
| Terry Duane Kuykendall | Six months in prison and three years of supervised release. |
| Tyler Jordan Kuykendall | Two years of probation. |
| Troy Newton Broussard | Six months in prison and three years of supervised release. |
| Shane Patrick Hinton | Six months in prison, a fine in the amount of $2,000 and three years of supervised release. |
| Shayne Keith Weekly | Six months in prison and three years of supervised release. |
| Daniel Kent Bosely | Three years of probation, a fine in the amount of $1,200 and 200 hours of community service. |
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