Are You Juiced?

Have you ever seen one of your colleagues, or an officer from another department, who was larger than life? I am not speaking in figurative terms about how he influences his environment. I am referring literally to his physical size. The guy whose biceps are bulging out of his shirt sleeves, with "Popeye" size forearms, veins as big as snakes crisscrossing his skin, seemingly alive. I have seen them; these guys are an awesome sight to behold, almost a caricature of what police officers look like. But it is axiomatic that you can't always judge a book by its cover.

In the 1990s I took part in the FBI's first ever undercover steroid operation entitled, "Operation Equine." I was assigned to the Detroit FBI office at the time. An agent in our Ann Arbor, MI resident agency was asked by then University of Michigan football coach, Bo Schembechler, to take a "close look" at some of his athletes. Bo feared that there was a potential problem brewing with steroids and he wanted it stopped. That was the genesis for a 2 1/2 year journey involving myself and another FBI agent working undercover to ferret out those that used and sold "roids." We got the DEA involved along with the FDA, and the case eventually netted over 70 convictions from small time dealers to those that dealt in huge volumes. In the process, individuals lost money, jewelry, cars, and in a few cases, their gyms. For its maiden voyage into the underground world of juice, "Equine" proved to be an overwhelming success.

Last year, my undercover FBI colleague testified in front of Congress regarding Major League Baseball (MLB) and steroids. He told them of our discovery that MLB players were involved in using the drugs to enhance their performance. One name that surfaced numerous times was that of self-professed steroid user Jose Canseco. In an interview with CBS, Cancseco implicated Mark McGuire as well. Canseco, sometimes called the "Bad Boy of Baseball," wrote a book entitled Juiced. In it he talks about his use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormones. Most recently, the on-going "Balco" investigation involving MLB steroid abuse continues to heat up. The latest twist in the case in April 2007, involves a former New York Mets employee pleading guilty in federal court to selling steroids to dozens of players. I am certain this case will ensnare more players before it comes to a conclusion.

During the undercover assignment, my fellow undercover agents and I discovered a subculture consisting of gym owners, bodybuilders, and weightlifters that had no compunction about using steroids and other drugs. What we also discovered was that there were some police officers firmly entrenched in this lifestyle as well. As part of our cover we worked out daily, sometimes twice daily, in popular gyms like PowerHouse, Gold's, and the World Gym. Our networking took us all over the United States. During our travels we tried to make as many "friends" as possible, hoping that they would lead us to the dealers. In the process, we learned that the culture attracted cops for a variety of reasons. Some were competing as bodybuilders, weightlifters, and in other sports as well. Those who were truly obsessed about their endeavors bought into the notion that roids would give them that shortcut, that "leg up" as it were, to get them to the top. Indeed, a few were successful, winning amateur events and some even turning pro where the payoff came in money and fame, not just a trophy for the mantle.