FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
MAY 10, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TEXAS MAN INDICTED FOR ILLEGALLY DISTRIBUTING HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE
Indictment Seeks Forfeiture of $863,534
Baltimore, Maryland - A federal grand jury indicted Bradley C. Blum, age 36, of Houston Texas, yesterday for conspiring to illegally distribute and illegally distributing human growth hormone (HGH), announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the four-count indictment, from February 1, 2004 to May 5, 2007, Blum conspired to unlawfully distribute HGH for use in humans other than for the treatment of a disease or other recognized medical condition, and without a doctor’s order. It is alleged that Blum obtained HGH from a manufacturer in China, and then unlawfully sold it to customers in Lexington Park, Maryland and elsewhere in the the United States. To avoid detection by U.S. Customs and the Food and Drug Administration, Blum and others caused the HGH to be shipped from China in packages with labels misstating their contents and value. The indictment also seeks $863,534 in property and proceeds involved in and traceable to this illegal distribution scheme.
Blum faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for the conspiracy and 5 years in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on each of the distribution counts. Blum defendant had his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Houston, Texas on May 6, 2007.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Jackson, who is prosecuting the case.