Mendoza
09-08-2007, 08:26 PM
2 NYC Gyms Shut In Drug Bust!
Saturday, September 8 2007
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By Lisa Scott
Two NYC areas gyms where shut down and over two dozen people arrested in an undercover drug sting on Friday. The arrests followed an 18-month investigation called ‘Operation Dumbbell,' in which undercover detectives bought drugs inside the Powerhouse Gym and the Envy Us Gym (both located in Queens). According to the Associated Press, NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly stated that tens of thousands of dollars were made each week from selling steroids, "and a cornucopia of other drugs, including cocaine, Ecstasy and prescription drugs Oxycontin, Percocet, Xanax and Vicodin," to aspiring boxers, body builders and other clients. Amongst those arrested were popular female fighter Cindy ‘Checkmate' Serrano (15-1-1), who is awaiting arraignment on charges of 3rd and 5th degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. She was ordered held on $10,000 bail and if convicted, faces up to nine years in prison. Serrano's husband Jordan Maldonado, a manager and trainer at Envy Us Gym was also arrested, but held without bail. During the investigation, undercover officers posing as drug dealers, are alleged to have made more than 60 separate drug purchases from the defendants, "inside the locker rooms, on the gym floor and in the trainer's office." Additionally, police discovered a makeshift steroid lab in the home of one of the defendants and recovered gallon bottles containing liquid steroids. In all, police recovered more than an ounce of cocaine, a .357 revolver, a shotgun, approximately 50 Oxycontin pills, numerous boxes containing steroids in both liquid and powder form, and nearly $40,000 in cash as a result of their search warrants.
Saturday, September 8 2007
[Only registered and activated users can see links]
By Lisa Scott
Two NYC areas gyms where shut down and over two dozen people arrested in an undercover drug sting on Friday. The arrests followed an 18-month investigation called ‘Operation Dumbbell,' in which undercover detectives bought drugs inside the Powerhouse Gym and the Envy Us Gym (both located in Queens). According to the Associated Press, NYC Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly stated that tens of thousands of dollars were made each week from selling steroids, "and a cornucopia of other drugs, including cocaine, Ecstasy and prescription drugs Oxycontin, Percocet, Xanax and Vicodin," to aspiring boxers, body builders and other clients. Amongst those arrested were popular female fighter Cindy ‘Checkmate' Serrano (15-1-1), who is awaiting arraignment on charges of 3rd and 5th degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. She was ordered held on $10,000 bail and if convicted, faces up to nine years in prison. Serrano's husband Jordan Maldonado, a manager and trainer at Envy Us Gym was also arrested, but held without bail. During the investigation, undercover officers posing as drug dealers, are alleged to have made more than 60 separate drug purchases from the defendants, "inside the locker rooms, on the gym floor and in the trainer's office." Additionally, police discovered a makeshift steroid lab in the home of one of the defendants and recovered gallon bottles containing liquid steroids. In all, police recovered more than an ounce of cocaine, a .357 revolver, a shotgun, approximately 50 Oxycontin pills, numerous boxes containing steroids in both liquid and powder form, and nearly $40,000 in cash as a result of their search warrants.