Tim Sweet, an Elliott Grant Middle School Barracudas head coach employed by the Corpus Christi Independent School District (ISD) for 28 years, was arrested on suspicion of possession of anabolic steroids on October 19, 2017. His arrest came after the Thailand Customs tipped off the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Last month, RoidVisor.com warned its readers that the Thailand Customs agency has essentially become an extension of the U.S. DEA. Thailand customs agents will open any suspicious-looking packages addressed to Americans that may contain anabolic steroids.
If the package contains anabolic steroids, the agents photograph the contents and send the information to the DEA Foreign Office in Bangkok. If DEA agents in Bangkok think they have the evidence to pursue a potential criminal case, the information is forwarded to the appropriate local DEA office for further action.
The arrest of Tim Sweet reveals that the DEA is cracking down on individual steroid users who order steroids from Thailand. Some people believed that the DEA Foreign Office in Bangkok would only forward cases involving commercial quantities of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). However, Sweet’s arrest make it clear that Thailand Customs has been instructed to report all contraband packages containing anabolic steroids regardless of whether it contains a steroid supply consistent with personal use or whether it contains large quantities of steroids intended for commercial resale. Individual steroid users and domestic steroid sources alike are in the DEA’s cross-hairs.
Sweet allegedly ordered steroids from a Thailand steroid source in August 2017. A Thailand customs agent open the package addressed to Sweet’s residence in Corpus Christi, Texas. It contained four 10-milliliter vials of injectable steroids – 1 x trenbolone enanthate, 1 x micronized stanozolol, 1 x testosterone enanthate and 1 x nandrolone decanoate.
The DEA launched an investigation into Sweet. The DEA, in cooperation with other federal and local law enforcement agencies, obtained Western Union receipts and surveillance closed-caption television footage reportedly linking Sweet to money transfers sent to Thailand as payment for his steroid order. The DEA also conducted a trash-pull in which it found one used syringe.
Sweet hasn’t been indicted yet. He was arrested and booked into Nueces County Jail. He stayed overnight in jail and was released after paying a $4,000 bond.
Leanne Winkler Libby, a spokesperson for the Corpus Christi ISD, told local news agencies that Sweet is still employed by the Corpus Christi ISD but has been placed on paid administrative leave since October 20, 2017.
The Sweet case is another reminder to RoidVisor readers that ordering from steroid sources in Thailand is currently a very bad idea.