Four Charged in Steroids Ring

A pair of amateur body builders and two of their associates were charged Thursday with operating a $3-million drug ring that illegally imported large quantities of anabolic steroids for distribution on the black market.

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles said the ring purchased large quantities of the protein-based, bulk-producing drugs used by many athletes from a West German pharmacist and sold them through a series of private mail drop facilities to distributors throughout the country.

At least three of the drugs allegedly distributed through the network had never received approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration, said Assistant U.S. Atty. George Newhouse, who is prosecuting the case.

Named in the criminal complaints are Leander Lodi, 31, an amateur body builder from Altadena; his wife, Irene Lodi, 28, another body builder; Samuel Artino, 24, of West Covina, and Terri Bitetti, 27, also of West Covina.

Charged in a separate complaint with acting as a steroids distributor was Kevin Gleason, 32, of Santa Monica.