Derry man gets 3 years in prison for importing, manufacturing steroids at home

Apr. 2—A Derry man was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in connection with importing, manufacturing and distributing steroids, prosecutors said.

Ralph Cardarelli, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to three years in prison and two years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jane Young said in a news release.

On Dec. 13, Cardarelli pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute steroids and causing a drug to become misbranded after shipment in interstate commerce.

"The defendant was engaged in large-scale illegal steroid manufacturing out of his garage and was then selling these homemade drugs," Young said in a statement. "Today's sentence sends the message that those involved in drug manufacturing and distribution will face significant punishment in New Hampshire."

"The illegal distribution of prescription drugs from unapproved and unregulated sources increases the risk of irregularities and impurities that can result in serious injury or death," Special Agent in Charge Fernando McMillan, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office, said in a statement. "The FDA is committed to doing our part to disrupt and dismantle illegal prescription drug distribution networks, including those that import unapproved drugs from overseas and distribute those drugs with reckless disregard of the risk to public health."

According to the charging documents, during the execution of a search warrant at Cardarelli's residence on March 23, 2023, federal investigators discovered more than 4,800 vials and bottles of suspected controlled substances and prescription drugs, including: nandrolone phenylpropionate; trenbolone acetate; dromostanolone propionate; boldenone undecylenate; testosterone propionate; trenbolone enanthate; nandrolone decanoate; testosterone enanthate; and testosterone cypionate — drugs commonly known as steroids, federal officials said.

According to a court affidavit, the investigation began after a confidential informant notified the Derry Police Department of Cardarelli's alleged involvement in importing, manufacturing and distributing unapproved and counterfeit drugs, including drugs commonly known as steroids.

An agent from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration contacted Customs and Border Protection for Cardarelli's import package history, which showed the Derry man receiving nearly 50 international shipments, mostly from China, since March 2022, usually declared as paper boxes, stickers and bottles.

On March 1, 2023, a package addressed to Cardarelli from China that came through the Boston seaport was detained and upon inspection was revealed to contain drug labels and drug vial boxes. Printed on the labels was the name "SummitGrow Labs" and "www.summitgrow-pharma.com," court documents show.

The labels and boxes showed the following drug names: Anavarbol, Tren A200 and Npp 100 (nandrolone phenylpropionate), names associated with steroids often used illicitly for bodybuilding.

Also collected as evidence from the search warrant at Cardarelli's home were two phones belonging to him. A forensic analysis of the phones was completed, and a review of the contents allegedly showed Cardarelli communicating with an "Eric Wang" via "WhatsApp Chats" concerning the ordering and purchasing of drugs, vials, labels and boxes.

"Wang appears to be a Chinese national working for a Chinese company selling products on Alibaba, a global internet marketplace," the affidavit reads.

During the execution of federal search warrants, prosecutors say investigators found a "mixer" typically used to combine raw materials for pill manufacturing, scales used to weigh raw materials, shelves containing various finished drug products separated by drug type, bins containing finished drugs, separated by drug type, and a "pill press" used to manufacture pills capable of producing 2,500 tablets per hour.

Evidence was also found through the search warrant that Cardarelli was importing these drugs, manufacturing, and packaging them in his residence, and dispensing the drugs without requiring a prescription, prosecutors allege.