Sayreville Man Gets 33 Months in Prison for Running Steroid Operation Out of Home

NEWARK—A Sayreville man was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for operating a steroid manufacturing operation out of his home and illegal possession of two firearms, Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph J. Marra, Jr., announced.

U.S. District Judge William H. Walls ordered Alfred Scarpa, 35, to voluntarily surrender to the Bureau of Prisons no later than March 23.

Scarpa pleaded guilty on Sept. 9 before Judge Walls to a two-count criminal Information which charged him with possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, and the unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Kirsch, who handled the prosecution.

Scarpa admitted at his plea hearing that he sold anabolic steroids, which he manufactured and stored in the basement of his residence, and that he owned and possessed two semiautomatic firearms which he also kept in the residence.

Scarpa was arrested at his residence on Sept. 20, 2007, as part of Operation Raw Deal, a nationwide investigation and take-down of individuals engaged in the underground illegal manufacture and distribution of steroids. Operation Raw Deal resulted in federal criminal charges against more than 125 people located across the country, including Scarpa.

Scarpa was arrested by federal agents as his residence was searched by Special Agents of the FBI, DEA, Postal Inspection Service, and FDA. A criminal Complaint then stated that a search of Scarpa's residence revealed "a substantial, active and ongoing laboratory used for the manufacturing of Anabolic steroids," including numerous tubs filled with labeled, finished steroid products, a plastic receptacle containing more than 10,000 tablets of apparent steroid products, raw steroid powders, as well as numerous vats containing a variety of liquid steroid compounds which included labels for Clomiphene Citrate, Boldenone Undecylenate, Stanozolol, Primobolan, Trenbolone Acetate, Nandrolone, and Testosterone.

In addition, law enforcement seized two firearms from the residence: a .40-caliber Glock Model 23 semi-automatic pistol; and a .40-caliber Springfield semi-automatic pistol. In 2003, Scarpa had been convicted of a felony offense for conspiracy to distribute ketamine in Superior Court in Union County and in 2000, he had been convicted of distributing cocaine in Monmouth County, which precluded him, as a convicted felon, from possessing any firearms, Kirsch said. As part of his plea, Scarpa forfeited the firearms which were seized by law enforcement.

Marra credited Special Agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Weysan Dunn, in Newark; and Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gerard P. McAleer.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsch.

Defense Counsel: Anthony Pope, Esq., of Fairfield