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Todd Matherne Sues the State Citing Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Convicted steroid dealer Todd Matherne owes $47 million dollars in taxes to the Louisiana Department of Revenue for steroids he sold under the Zencall Labs label. Matherne was arres ted on March 7, 2005 along with this girlfriend and father during the culmination of a two-year investigation by the Louisiana State Police into the illegal manufacture and distribution of anabolic steroids. Matherne subsequently pleaded guilty to six steroid-related charges and was sentenced to seven years in state prison. He has since been released and has attempted to “rebuild his life.”

Todd Matherne alleges that he was never advised about the stamp tax assessed on his steroid business when he pleaded guilty. He first learned about the $47 million dollar tax lien against when he tried to secure a mortgage to buy a new house. "At no time did anyone tell Todd Matherne that he owed forty-seven million dollars to the state of Louisiana when he entered into the plea agreement," according to a lawsuit filed by Matherne’s attorney Paul Lapeyrouse challenging the Louisiana “drug stamp law”.

The lawsuit calls the $47 million tax unconstitutional in violation of the Constitutional prohibition against “cruel and unusual punishment”. “Most people earn but a small fraction of that amount in a lifetime,” said Lapeyrouse. “The enormity of this burden will effectively deny to him any semblance of a normal life.”

How did the State of Louisiana arrive at a $47 million dollar tax bill for Todd Matherne?

The tax stamp law specifies a $200 tax per gram of anabolic steroids if sold by weight or $400 tax per 10 dosage units. This would effectively tax a bottle of testosterone cypionate at $400 and 100 tablets of Dianabol at $4000! Of course, the likely black market price for each of these products was likely no more than a couple hundred dollars at the most in 2005. And since Matherne failed to purchase the tax stamps at the time, the tax was doubled. Is an $8000 state tax on 100 tablets of Dianabol “cruel and unusual punishment”?

Admittedly, Todd and Edward Matherne were large scale distributors of anabolic steroids using the underground lab name of Zencall Labs. They were caught with enormous quantities of processed and raw anabolic steroids when the Louisiana State Police busted them on March 7, 2005. The oral steroids seized at their apartment(s) included 10,180 tablets and 300 capsules of stanozolol (aka Winstrol), 6,440 tablets of oxymetholone (aka Anadrol), 3,500 tablets and 1,900 capsules of Cialis, 1500 tamoxifen capsules (Nolvadex), 800 Anabol capsules, 2,400 Clomid capsules and 600 Dianabol capsules. They were also caught with 727 vials of injectable anabolic steroids and several pounds of raw steroid powder and other chemicals and precursors materials.

Todd Matherne’s lawsuit targets the Louisiana State Police, Louisiana Department of Revenue, Terrebonne Parish District Attorney Joe Waitz, Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois and Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell. “This is a total frivolous suit,” said Bill Dodd, the legal representation for the Sheriff’s Office. “I don’t see how the sheriff or DA has to do with this. It’s a shame this is going to take up the court’s time.”

Sources

“Lawsuit aimed at 'drug stamp' law,” April 11, 2009

“Drug dealer fights $47 million side effect,” April 10, 2009

“Large Drug Distribution Ring Broken in Terrebonne Parish,” March 10, 2005

By Millard Baker

http://www.millardbaker.com

www.SteroidsRx.com

Former Teammate Alleges A-Rod Used Steroids Playing for Miami Westminster Christian

New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez may have used anabolic steroids as a teenage baseball phenom while playing at Westminster Christian High School in Southwest Miami-Dade according to a soon-to-be-published new book about the Major League Baseball star. The story was published in advance of the publication of “Hit and Run: The Many Lives of Alex Rodriguez” by Selena Roberts which is scheduled to be released on May 19, 2009. Tracy Connor of the New York Daily News was able to obtain an advance copy of the A-Rod expose although no information was given on how she obtained it.

Sports Illustrated reporters Selena Roberts and David Epstein were responsible for breaking the blockbuster story of Alex Rodriguez’ positive tests in February 2009. They revealed that Rodriguez tested positive for testosterone and Primobolan (methenolone) in 2003 as part of the “anonymous” and non-displinary MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program steroid testing program.

Alex Rodriguez admitted taking anabolic steroids initially during an interview with ESPN’s Peter Gammons and subsequently in a press conference in Florida. Rodriguez was critical of Selena Roberts in spite of the fact that the main allegation of steroid use was true. A-Rod expressed suspicions about her plans to release a book expose of his life. “This lady is coming out with all these allegations, all these lies, because she’s writing an article for Sports Illustrated and she’s coming out with a book in May,” said Rodriguez, “And really respectable journalists are following this lady off the cliff. And following her lead. And that to me is unfortunate.”

David Hirshey, Roberts’ editor at HarperCollins, promised several new steroid revelations about Alex Rodriguez. “I assure you she has more drug revelations as well as other news. Not everything that Selena has on A-Rod’s steroid participation has come out yet.” A-Rod’s alleged teenage steroid use is one of those revelations. While it is plausible, and even likely, that Rodriguez used steroids in high school, there is very little proof to support the allegations. A-Rod may have used steroids in high school. But he may not have used them.

Selena Roberts relies on two former students at Miami Westminster Christian High School as proof. One former, obviously less successful, teammate asserts A-Rod was using steroids and that his high school coach knew it. Former Miami Westminster baseball coach denied it; he reported being surprised when the steroid allegations were first revealed. "I was pretty surprised," said Hofman. "I never had any indications of it. With his work ethic and the way he went about his business, baseball was first and everything else was second. I never really felt like he needed it."

Another former Miami Westminster high school student told Selena Roberts that the he was told by the coach’s son that Rodriguez use steroids. The “word” was that A-Rod obtained steroids from the owner of a dog kennel. Although perhaps more credible than Jose Canseco’s propensity to “guess” who is using steroids, these type of tertiary sources are not very credible.

Jose Canseco did everything he could to implicate A-Rod in his book entitled Vindicated published prior to Rodriguez’s admission of steroid use. “Hell, if you ask me, I did everything but inject the guy myself," wrote Canseco. Few people found the allegations credible until Selena Roberts’ provided undeniable proof of doping in February.

Canseco also believes A-Rod used steroids in high school based on workouts he shared with Rodriguez when he was 18 years old. "Was he on steroids in high school?" said Canseco. "I think probably so. I worked out with him when he was 18. He could lift almost as much as I could."

Now that Alex Rodriguez has admitted using anabolic steroids, any new revelations about A-Rod’s “steroid participation” are going to be uncritically accepted by the general public. Of course, it is plausible and likely that Rodriguez steroid history extends well beyond what A-Rod has publicly admitted. The general consensus is that Rodriguez is not being entirely honest about his use of steroids. Did Alex Rodriguez really use anabolic steroids as a high school athlete? We may never know for certain. The failure of athletes like A-Rod to be completely forthright about their performance enhancing drug use only contributes to further suspicions.

Sources

“A-Rod took steroids while with Yankees, and as teen, claims new book,” April 30, 2009

“Who's 'This Lady'? Meet Selena Roberts, A-Rod's Worst Nightmare,” February 10, 2009

“A-Rod admits, regrets use of PEDs,” February 10, 2009

“A-Rod's high school coach 'surprised' by steroid use,” February 9, 2009

“Sources tell SI Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003,” February 7, 2009

By Millard Baker

http://www.millardbaker.com

www.SteroidsRx.com