OMAHA — A man pleaded guilty to his involvement in an illegal steroid distribution scheme Friday.
Fernando Lopez-Reyes pleaded guilty to distribution of and possession with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, methamphetamine and other illegal substances in Nebraska and elsewhere, and to conspiracy to launder money, according to court records.
Lopez-Reyes and five other individuals used a Facebook group named “Bob’s Custom Clothing Warehouse” as an online storefront to sell steroids and other illegal substances from June 2017 until March 2021, according to a federal indictment.
The substances included anabolic steroids, 50 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a substance containing a detectable amount of alprazolam (a type of benzodiazepine that includes the brand-name medication Xanax) and a substance containing a detectable amount of N-Ethylhexedrone (a stimulant considered a Schedule 1 substance), according to the indictment.
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The indictment alleges that Lopez-Reyes received illegal substances from a Chinese supplier and finished them in a clandestine lab so they could then be distributed to customers. It also alleges he sent money to individuals in China to pay for the illegal substances.
Customers often paid for the drugs using online payment platforms, such as PayPal, or using cryptocurrency, according to the indictment, and the individuals running the scheme sent and received drugs through the U.S. Postal Service.
The individuals running the scheme and customers used coded terms such as “shirts,” “primo suits” and “secret recipes” when referring to illegal substances, the indictment said.
The indictment also included a forfeiture allegation for money and cryptocurrency related to the scheme, including Bitcoin valued at $1,169 when it was seized from Lopez-Reyes in March 2021.
Lopez-Reyes’ sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 9 in Omaha.
