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ORLANDO, FLA---As accusations of grandstanding against Albany County district attorney David Soares circulate for his stance on the "War on Drugs" and his handling of a raid an Orlando pharmacy as part of investigation into alleged illegal distribution of steroids, a Florida judge has ordered that the four people arrested in Orlando continue to be held without bail and that they must be extradited to Albany County no later than next Thursday.
Orange County Judge Michael Murphy said that if New York had not extradited the four back to Albany County by next Thursday, he would set bond for them which would allow them to surrender to Albany County.
Soares said they would be extradited Monday.
Amy Tingley, an attorney who represents the four defendants, said that they had been trying for over a month to turn themselves into authorities after they learned of the investigation but that Soares had refused to discuss the matter with them, instead showing up in Florida Tuesday with camera crews.
"On no less than three occasions they contacted the Albany DA's office and said can we please come to New York and process ourselves and they were told you are a target but we will not allow you to do that and process yourselves", the defense attorney said.
Soares was in Orlando, Fla. Tuesday when federal and state narcotics agents executed search warrants on several Signature Pharmacies in Orlando and arrested the four defendants on warrants issued as the result of a year-long investigation by an Albany County Grand Jury.
Celebrities and sports stars have been implicated in the multi-state investigation into the illegal sales of steroids over the Internet.
Tingley represents Naomi and Robert "Stan" Loomis who are married and co-owners of Signature Pharmacy; Michael Loomis who is Robert's brother and also a Signature pharmacist, and Kirk Calvert, marketing director for the company.
Soares defended his actions and said that "the element of surprise" is an important law enforcement tool. In responding to criticisms about Albany County taxpayers funding the investigation and the cost of Soares showboating in Florida, Soares claimed that a portion of the cost would be paid by money forfeited in previous drug investigations.
This isn't the first time that Soares has been under for fire for his position and actions concerning drug policy and investigations. At a conference in Canada last May, he said that our drug laws don't work and are only supported because they provide lucrative jobs for law enforcement.
Soares said that the "attempt to engage in cleaning the streets of Albany one $20-sale on the street at a time is a failed policy".
Those comments led to sharp attacks from law enforcement, politicians and the union which represents Albany's police.
Albany area law enforcement officials say that Soares' handling of the Orlando case is "bizarre" and question why he needed to go to Orlando to execute search warrants and make arrests at the pharmacy.
John Burke, narcotics investigator with the Albany County Sheriff's Department said that the "money, the time and the effort could have been better used here locally".
Soares responded that "Some members of our local law enforcement can continue to do what they're doing which is your street level rip, never focusing on anything other than the guy they can pick up and make $500 in overtime with it but that is not my pledge and that is not my commitment."
Other arrests were made as a result of the raid but not identified and it is likely more arrests will follow including at least two dozen doctors who allegedly wrote prescriptions for drugs without ever seeing the "patient".
In a prepared statement, Soares said the pharmacies are "believed to supply a large portion of the national market of the illegal online sale of anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and other controlled substances".
The downtown Orlando pharmacy sold mostly bodybuilding supplements and housed a high-tech drug manufacturing laboratory. The two locations for Signature Pharmacy did about $36 million in business last year, authorities said, up for income reported in 2002 of about $500,000.
Soares and other law enforcement officials have alleged that at least $250,000 were shipped directly into Albany County for sales and distribution and the sales in New York State totaled $10 million. 3-1-07
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© 2007 North
Country Gazette
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