Shrewsbury's 'Musclehead320' Cops To Running Steroid Ring: Feds

SHREWSBURY, MA – A Shrewsbury man who goes by the online moniker "musclehead320" admitted his role in a nationwide steroid trafficking operation Monday in federal court, the U.S. Attorney's office said. Tyler Bauman, 32, and five others were arrested in April and charged in a conspiracy to traffic steroids, including testosterone and trenbolone, to bodybuilders.

Authorities said from approximately May 2015 to April 2017, the six defendants manufactured steroids using raw materials purchased overseas and marketed them as "Onyx" steroids using labels that were ordered from overseas suppliers.

Onyx, now a subsidiary of Amgen Inc., was a biopharmaceutical company that did not manufacture steroids.

Bauman utilized his social media following as "musclehead320" and variations of that name to promote Onyx, claiming to be an "Onyx Sponsored Athlete," the U.S. Attorney's office said. On social media, he publicly denied being involved in making or selling Onyx, but authorities said he was marketing Onyx injectable steroids through other accounts, including "onyx_roid" and "onyxpharma."

He communicated with customers through these accounts and provided email addresses to place orders, as well as received orders, the USAO said. He then directed the other defendants to send steroids to customers through the mail and pick up payments at money remitters such as Western Union and MoneyGram using fake IDs.

Authorities said Bauman purchased the steroid tablets and raw materials to manufacture the injectable steroids, ordered the fake Onyx labeling and packaging and laundered the profits through Wicked Tan LLC, a tanning salon in Beverly. Bauman and a co-defendant owned the tanning business specifically to launder money from the steroid operation, according to the USAO.

Bauman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute counterfeit testosterone, trenbolone and other steroid compounds; conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit drugs; conspiracy to launder money; possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute; and trafficking in counterfeit drugs.

Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 29.

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