PALUMBO'S SENTENCING

[Mr.Huge]

Body builder sentenced for distributing phony human growth hormone

By Onell R. Soto
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
December 20, 2004

A professional body builder who illegally distributed fake human growth hormones he bought from a San Diego-based ring was sentenced to five months in federal prison and five months of house arrest last week.

Dave "Jumbo" Palumbo of Long Island, N.Y., is the highest profile defendant targeted by the breakup of the ring in which four other men, including a father and son from National City, have pleaded guilty.

Palumbo pleaded guilty in San Diego federal court in October to illegally selling 90 boxes of the fake hormone for about $63,000.

His lawyer argued in court Friday that the weightlifter and editor of RxMuscle magazine thought he was dealing with the real thing and injected some of the concoction himself.

Prosecutor Melanie Pierson responded that Palumbo appeared on national television as an expert on counterfeit hormone.

He should have picked up on differences in the labels of the real and fake versions of Serostim, a hormone approved for use by underweight AIDS patients, she said.

The fake Serostim was made by an Oregon company for Ronald Nollett Sr. and Roland Nollett Jr. of National City, who poured them into vials and packaged them to look like the real thing.

In more than 10 years, they produced more than 6,000 vials of the concoction, which did not include the active ingredient in Serostim. An FDA test of seized vials found mold in a highly acidic solution.

They were caught after a Spring Valley printer tried to collect money from the Swiss company that actually makes the drug when a check for the fake drug's packaging bounced.

In court, Palumbo was contrite.

"I've embarrassed myself," he said. "I think of myself as a role model in society. ... Now I know who I truly am."

But outside the courtroom, his lawyers prevented him from saying whether he'd sworn off the use of drugs that stimulate muscle growth.

 

[Big A]

They were caught after a Spring Valley printer tried to collect money from the Swiss company that actually makes the drug when a check for the fake drug's packaging bounced.

They perform like petty amateurs, yet I bet they were acting like big time drug dealers/gangsters while they were doing it

 

[MR.BICEPS]

I hate it for PALUMBO but if he was knowingly selling fake GH to suport his habit he one sick puppy..

Dave was nice to me when I met him but my opinions of him have changed quite a bit since his bust. I feel he was selling fake GH..The proof is in the pudding..

 

[Armageddon]

Seen him twice in person. Once at a guest posing in a local town and at the Arnold. Both places our contact was mostly in a bar and he was fuggered up. Running his mouth alot about this and that. Can't believe he didn't mind telling people his business. Kind of an odd fellow

 

[Qwert]

Dave is a bright guy, but he's full of BS. I've talked to him on a few occassions & he's told me that he uses 1000mg test, 300mg EQ & 2iu GH. Any more would be a waste he says. And he's against seo, pgf, lutalyse etc. Here's a guy that looks like a mutant experiment gone wrong & he's telling me he doesn't use more than 1300mg of AAS per week & no more than 2iu GH a day. I didn't know if he was making a joke or not, but apparently, he wasn't. This is the Lee Priest syndrome where he claims to bulk on 1cc primo & 1 cc deca a week. If you're going to lie, it's just better to not say anything.

 

[MightyJohn]

....

Screw Dave P...he ripped people off on fake GH, a magazine he only made like 2-3 copies of & billed everyone for a yr, & he is a junkie....very bad for the sport...

& in terms of cycles...he claims to take 100mg DROL(ed), 1250cyp(wkly), 400 deca(wkly)& 4-6 iu HGH(daily)...just what I have read from his writings

 

[massmonster32]

Man that is a pretty light sentence which is good for him I guess. Hope he wasnt actually selling fakes cause thats a scammer as well. But most of all hope he didnt talk to get others busted who knows. MM

 

[bigbaldbulldog]

I guess what is and what we want can be two different things....anytime money is invovled it changes some people...perhaps he is one..we are judging by what we are reading...what if that was you selling HGH or gear and you thought it was real and that happened to you..?How many of us sold soemthing we thought was real and it was fake and never knew it ??

 

[Coopie]

I've known Dave for about 7 years, and I can tell you that aside from his shady business dealings he really is a nice person with a good heart.

Now, that does not excuse his behavior - his scam with the magazine, and taking people's hard-earned $ and sending them "mold in a bottle", but in a way I feel very badly for him.

 

[Trulyhuge]

Qwert,
With all do respect Dave is a genetic freak, like all the pro's. Who are you to say he is lying about his useage? I don't think calling people out on their supposed AAS useage is a good idea.

TH

 

[drgoodbody]

Knew this was coming for Dave - just wasn't sure how much time he'd get.

DrG

 

[big_byrd52]

he was getting $700 bucks a kit for 90 kits to equal 63,000 dollars!

 

[Qwert]

Qwert,
With all do respect Dave is a genetic freak, like all the pro's. Who are you to say he is lying about his useage? I don't think calling people out on their supposed AAS useage is a good idea.

TH

I'll tell you why I KNOW he is BSing. I have a friend who is pretty friendly with Dave. He has had hair transplants & Dave had just gotten his. My friend told Dave he looked good from the front, but he should definitely get the rear part of his head done to, as it looks pretty bad from the back. Dave told him that the procedure was too expensive for him to do now & that he would rather spend the money on GH since he used 1 kit per week of GH. Now that's a big difference from what he told me, since he said that he used only 2iu a day & thought anything more was a waste.

 

[G.E.R.M]

...

he was getting $700 bucks a kit for 90 kits to equal 63,000 dollars!

bwahahahah.. 700 is the gym price here on LI..

for yrs.. soronoman aka me was selling 40-80 per week at 550-750 per kit...

and i bought them for as little as 50 per kit from the aids clinic here on LI.

when the kits slowed down i met with DP... needless to say, i didnt buy anything from him cuz i didnt want one of you freaks at my door cuz i sold fake GH....not to mention he wouldnt budge on the price for volume...


we both knew the kits were fake.....as they looked nothing like the real kits i brought along for comparison....


this is not bullshit either....

 

[Fullybuilt]

Hey GERM, this isnt the same stuff is it?
http://www.professionalmuscle.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9662

 

[big_byrd52]

people are too damn broke around here to get a kit 450! i got 10 and wound up using them all cause i couldnt get rid of em.

 

[Frusciante]

In more than 10 years, they produced more than 6,000 vials of the concoction, which did not include the active ingredient in Serostim.

hmmm

 

[Rogue]

Dave is a bright guy, but he's full of BS. I've talked to him on a few occassions & he's told me that he uses 1000mg test, 300mg EQ & 2iu GH. Any more would be a waste he says. And he's against seo, pgf, lutalyse etc. Here's a guy that looks like a mutant experiment gone wrong & he's telling me he doesn't use more than 1300mg of AAS per week & no more than 2iu GH a day. I didn't know if he was making a joke or not, but apparently, he wasn't. This is the Lee Priest syndrome where he claims to bulk on 1cc primo & 1 cc deca a week. If you're going to lie, it's just better to not say anything.

Hey,
I dont want to sound like Im sticking up for Dave selling the fake stuff. Aside from that he's a very knowledgeable and kind person. I go back with Dave to the early 90's and got real close in 95-99 where we talked and hung out daily.Nevertheless I can vouch for his dosage recomendation of 1000mg/week. The 300 mg addition of eq must be a new thing but back in the day we only used 1g a week combined dosage.

Any input Dante?

 

[KillerStack]

we both knew the kits were fake.....as they looked nothing like the real kits i brought along for comparison....


this is not bullshit either....

So Dave knew without a doubt the kits were fake?On Mayhem they are swearing he thought it was legit.

 

[A50#]

Looks like they would have been smart enough not to bounce a check to the folks who produced the packaging