Birmingham Man Avoids Prison in Steroid Distribution Case

A bodybuilder from Birmingham received a suspended sentence in a steroid distribution case.
Mantas Kaupas, 35, of Weoley Castle, Birmingham, admitted that he had purchased, produced, and distributed steroids between February 2018 and February 2019. Kaupas purchased “raw ingredients” used to produce steroids on the darkweb, according to prosecutor Andrew Davidson at Birmingham Crown Court.
The prosecutor told the court that customs officials at the Stansted Airport had intercepted a suspicious package addressed to the defendant in December 2018. The package contained one kilogram of 2,4-Dinitrophenol (DNP), an organic compound occasionally used as a weight loss agent. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Kaupas’ residence.
In February 2019, police executed a search warrant at the residence. Inside, they found more than 100 vials of testosterone and more than 1,000 unidentified pills. The police also seized Kaupas’ phone and recovered a number of incriminating text messages. They learned that Kaupas had at least 23 customers. One customer, the court heard during the sentencing hearing, spent £970 on five “steroid packages” offered by Kaupas.
“Between February 2018 and February 2019, you were involved in purchasing, producing, and selling anabolic steroids. You produced over that period a relatively large quantity of steroids but I accept you had been using significant quantities yourself. You sourced the raw ingredients to produce these drugs by the Dark Web from countries such as China and India."

-- Judge Paul Farrer QC
Judge Farrer sentenced Kaupas to eight months in prison but suspended the sentence for 18 months. Kaupas’ lack of priors contributed to the lenient sentence, the judge said. In addition to the suspended sentence, the judge ordered Kaupas to complete 300 hours of community service.