Miami Gym Raided by DEA and FBI

Miami gym  with connections to CT Fletcher and Mike Rashid raided by FBI

On Feb 22, 2017, DEA agents raided Iron Addicts Gym arresting at least 10 people, including one of the co-owners, and charged them with running a 10M steroid production and distribution outfit.    Gym goers were in shock as agents asked everyone to go against the wall and used sledgehammers to bust walls open on the 2nd floor, where one of the co-owners ran a supplement company that produced and sold illegal anabolic steroids.

Richard Rodriquez and WFN (wellnessfitnessnutritionstore.com)

The main target was Iron Addicts co-owner Richard Rodriquez.  Rodriquez was well known in the fitness industry thanks to his 'show-off' persona, his Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/richardrodriguezfl/ has pictures of himself with fancy cars, professional bodybuilders including Jay Cutler (Mr. Olympia), and other celebrities.   Now he and his wife Nancy are behind bars, part of a 9+ person steroid ring, which is charged with importing China raws then manufacturing steroids in an Arizona lab, and distributing those drugs worldwide from Miami.   Customers were also part of the investigation, many coming from New York State, but also in other countries from Canada to Kuwait.

Richard Rodriquez and Jay cutler

WFN (wellnessfitnessnutritionstore.com) is still online as of this article.  Agents were tipped that this website was selling illegal steroids, using muscle milk bottles and stereo speakers to ship the products to bypass customs.   Agents said they had been investigating the company since 2015, which Rodriquez is a majority owner, while his wife was in charge of the finances.  The couple allegedly had profited over $2M in the past year.

Investigation

Border Patrol seized three packages of steroid raw powders in the spring of 2015, and then purchased $30K worth of steroids from the company via their wellnessfitnessnutrition store.   An informant also mentioned that Rodriquez became paranoid because the whole business was "illegal."   With such a large network already set up, such an operation would have been difficult to stop, as agents also arrested accomplices in Arizona who were working the lab.  DEA agents picked through the garbage behind the lab and were able to find evidence of steroids in the trash which tested positive.

CT Fletcher

CT Fletcher owns an Iron Addicts Gym in California and says he allows the gym to use his name, face, and 'likeness' to help the business, and says he regrets that decision because he doesn't want his name associated with them.

Mike Rashid

Mike Rashid has said this incident "has nothing to do with me, the gym, or CT," and that the "investor/business partner who was involved had some legal issues and it has spilled over to the gym."  He then apologized to the members, staff of the gym, as well as CT Fletcher.   He then mentioned that it is very difficult to make a profit from owning a gym, and it was all his business partner (Rodriquez) that was at fault, and decided to make a bad decision and he 'spent the majority of his time in the gym.'

Gym closed

DEA agents not only knocked down walls but they also took gym equipment.  Many gym members were very upset as this was a very hardcore gym which a lot of top tier competitors worked out at, from all over the world.   As of this article, there is still a no trespassing sign at the entrance to the gym, and it doesn't appear the gym will be opening back up in the near future.