Three men indicted for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids via the dark web

Three men were indicted in federal court for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids via the dark web.

Named in the four-count indictment are: Ronald D. Roginsky, 52, of Brunswick; John M. Ambrose, 40, of Chicago, and Eric S. Angle, 52, of Wexford, Pennsylvania.

All three are charged with one count each of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to import controlled substances, distributing controlled substances by means of the Internet, and conspiracy to launder money.

According to the indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Cleveland:

Roginsky, Ambrose and Angle were members of the “qu4ntum” drug trafficking organization. The organization maintained and controlled the qu4ntum dark net vendor account on AlphaBay, Dream Market, Wall Street and other dark net marketplaces.

The qu4ntum drug organization distributed anabolic steroids and other controlled substances over the dark web, websites and forums operating on the clear web and via person-to-person transactions, according to the indictment.

The organization used the qu4ntum account as an online storefront for the sale of anabolic steroids and other controlled substances. The group imported steroids from China and elsewhere and shipped the drugs to locations throughout the U.S.

They used the U.S. Postal Service, third-party shipping companies and hand-to-hand transactions as a means of distribution. They used various means to hide their identification as the shippers of drug parcels, including opening P.O. boxes under fictitious names, according to the indictment.

Sales of controlled substances were paid for using cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, and cash, according to the indictment.

If convicted, the defendants’ sentences will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Riedl and Segev Phillips following an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations and the Medina County Drug Task Force.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.