By Jacob Seibel
The Citizens’ Voice
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — The state Attorney General’s Office and local law enforcement Wednesday charged 13 people, including a probation officer and four current or former corrections officers and a local football star turned NFL hopeful, with running two transcontinental anabolic steroid rings.
Following a 17-month investigation dubbed “Operation Gym Candy,” authorities allege the individuals shipped hundreds of thousands of pills out of five Northeastern Pennsylvania counties, and also ran a ring that sold illegal prescription drugs. Three of the individuals charged, Brian Laubach, 36, of Berwick; Richard Piccarreta, 49, of Bloomsburg; and Paul Dougal, 31, of Plymouth, allegedly imported raw materials from China to make the steroids in their homes.
Authorities said they stuffed anabolic steroids into caplets or cooked the raw materials to fill vials so the drugs could be injected, authorities said. Keith Kilgus, 40, of Danville allegedly worked for both rings by picking up the packages that came in from China and delivering the materials to the three suppliers, as well as shipping packages for both rings.
According to the affidavit, Laubach told authorities during a police interview he had started an online anabolic steroid business about two years ago, but said he also meet in person with some customers, including Brian Clarke, who was signed in May by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Clarke, a 24-year-old Hanover Area and Bloomsburg University graduate, suffered a groin injury in training camp and was waived in August.
Clarke told investigators he had been buying steroids from Laubach and selling them for about a year and a half, according to the affidavit, but arranged for someone else to meet Laubach when Clarke was tied up in May because of the NFL draft.
Sheree Senausky, 29, of Trucksville allegedly operated a prescription drug ring involving Dougal and one other of the anabolic steroids ring suspects, Nick Baloga, 44, of Scranton.
“Anabolic steroids can cause deadly side effects, and are as much of a public health risk as heroin or other narcotics...,” Attorney General Kathleen Kane said. “This illegal manufacturing has been shut down and will no longer be able to supply dangerous drugs that can do great harm to people’s long-term health.”
Kane said the ring operated out of Luzerne, Lackawanna, Montour, Northumberland and Columbia counties and shipped to dozens of states including Hawaii.
The criminal charges said most of Laubach’s alleged sales were online and he shipped up to 300 packages for profits of roughly $16,000 a week. A search warrant at Laubach’s residence yielded more than 90,000 anabolic steroids pills, 2,800 vials, gallons of unpackaged manufactured liquid anabolic steroids, kilos of raw anabolic steroids and $445,000 cash. Laubach allegedly hid the proceeds in the name of his brother, Marc Laubach, 36, who was also charged Wednesday.
Materials to manufacture anabolic steroids were seized at Dougal’s residence, along with more than 10,000 pills and 112 vials. The estimated street value of all of the seized evidence associated with the two anabolic steroids rings is more than $500,000.
Senausky allegedly diverted a minimum of 400 pills a week from her employer that were mostly Vicodin or a combination of Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet, which she sold for $1,300 a week in profits, according to authorities. One of her alleged customers was Dougal, who sold the pills to Baloga, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators said members of the anabolic steroids rings used the drugs for their own personal use, and believe some took prescription drugs to alleviate pain associated with excessive exercise and weight lifting.
The investigation, called “Operation Gym Candy,” began in April 2013.
Of the 13 charged, five are current or former probation or correction officers: Marc Laubach (Columbia County probation officer); Piccarreta (former Montour County Prison officer); Baloga (Lackawanna Prison guard); John Taffera, 39, (Luzerne County Correctional Facility guard); and Pete Fischer, 54, (Luzerne County Correctional Facility guard).
Piccarreta was also charged in August in connection with this case for intimidating a witness and threatening the lives of law enforcement. An unnamed confidential informant told law enforcement about Piccarreta’s threats. The arrest affidavit doesn’t identify the officers, attorney and potential witness whom Piccarreta allegedly threatened. Kingston police filed charges against Piccarreta, who allegedly said he wanted to “bash in” the attorney’s head with a bat. He also threatened to kill the potential witness because “he is the ‘rat’ who caused this situation,” the affidavit said.
Piccarreta also threatened a second cooperating source, whom police interviewed Aug. 6. Piccarreta also allegedly threatened to kill a law enforcement agent and the cooperating source during a recorded phone call with the confidential informant on Aug. 6.
“It is particularly troubling that five of the people who participated in these rings have been entrusted by our citizens with overseeing parolees or guarding prisoners,” Kane said. “They worked every day with individuals who are paying the price for breaking the law. It is shameful that they decided to break the law themselves.”
The Luzerne County Correctional Facility referred all questions about its correctional officers to court administration, which didn’t immediately return messages Wednesday.
The defendants were arraigned Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Rick Cronauer and released on $50,000 unsecured bail each. The case will be prosecuted by Deputy Attorney General William Abraham of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 14 before Cronauer.
The defendants, and the charges they face, are:
• Brian Laubach, 36, 1225 5th Ave., Berwick, Columbia County, is charged with two counts of manufacturing anabolic steroids; two counts of corrupt organizations; one count of delivery of anabolic steroids; one count of possession with the intent to deliver anabolic steroids; one count of possession of anabolic steroids; one count of conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids; one count of dealing in unlawful proceeds; and one count of conspiracy to deal in unlawful proceeds.
•Marc Laubach, 36, 1225 5th Ave., Berwick, Columbia County, is charged with one count of dealing in unlawful proceeds and one count of conspiracy to deal in unlawful proceeds.
• Paul Dougal, 31, 935 Country Club Road, Apt. 2, Bloomsburg, Columbia County, is charged with one count of manufacturing anabolic steroids; one count of delivery of anabolic steroids; one count of possession with intent to deliver anabolic steroids; one count of possession of anabolic steroids; one count of conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids; two counts of corrupt organizations; one count of dealing in unlawful proceeds; and one count of conspiracy to deal in unlawful proceeds.
• Richard Piccarreta, 49, 75 Wood St., Plymouth, Luzerne County, is charged with one count of manufacturing anabolic steroids; one count of delivery of anabolic steroids; one count of possession with intent to deliver anabolic steroids; one count of possession of anabolic steroids; one count of conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids; two counts corrupt organization; one count of dealing in unlawful proceeds; and one count of conspiracy to deal in unlawful proceeds.
• Keith Kilgus, 40, 600 Bloom St., Apt. 1, Danville, Montour County, is charged with two counts of delivery of anabolic steroids; two counts of possession with intent to deliver anabolic steroids; two counts of possession of anabolic steroids; two counts of conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids; and two counts corrupt organizations.
• Brian Clarke, 24, 239 1st St., Hanover Township, Luzerne County, is charged with four counts of delivery of anabolic steroids; four counts of possession with intent to deliver anabolic steroids; four counts of possession of anabolic steroids; four counts of conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids; two counts of corrupt organizations; and one count of illegal use of a communication facility.
• Matt Vilanoski, 25, 833 W. Spruce St., Coal Township, Northumberland County, is charged with one count of possession of anabolic steroids.
•John Koch, 24, 505 Chestut St., Hanover Township, Luzerne County, is charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver anabolic steroids; one count of possession of anabolic steroids; one count of delivery of anabolic steroids, one count of criminal conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids and two counts of corrupt organizations.
• Nick Baloga, 44, 2223 Capouse Ave., Scranton, Lackawanna County, is charged with two counts possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; two counts of possession of anabolic steroids; two counts of conspiracy to deliver controlled substances; two counts of corrupt organizations; and one count of illegal use of a communication facility.
• Kyle Goyne, 23, 58 Brown St., Ashley, Luzerne County, is charged with one count of delivery of anabolic steroids; one count of possession with intent to deliver anabolic steroids; one count of possession of anabolic steroids; one count of conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids; two counts of corrupt organizations; and one count of illegal use of a communication facility.
• John Taffera, 39, 328 Highlark Drive, Larksville, Luzerne County, is charged with one count of delivery of a controlled substance; one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; one count of possession of anabolic steroids; one count of conspiracy to deliver anabolic steroids; two counts corrupt organizations; and one count of illegal use of a communication facility.
• Sheree Senausky, 29, 169 Staub Road, Trucksville, Luzerne County, is charged with three counts of delivery of a controlled substance; four counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance; two counts of corrupt organizations; and one count of illegal use of a communication facility.
• Pete Fischer, 54, 1 Brown St., Ashley, Luzerne County, is charged with one count of possession of anabolic steroids and one count of illegal use of a communication facility.