Man charged with steroid possession

Pullum

Found were syringes and animal steroids

BENTON -- A Sikeston man was arrested for possession of syringes and animal steroids, which are occasionally used by humans to increase body mass.

Tristan L. Pullam, 31, of 216 Matt St. in Sikeston, was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to a Scott County Sheriff's Department news release. Bond was set at $2,500.

On Monday, Scott County deputies responded to Pullam's residence on a complaint of a domestic problem. There they were told Pullam got mean when he used drugs. An investigation revealed the suspect allegedly ordered the drug Trenbolone and syringes from the Internet.

A Schedule III drug, Trenbolone is a steroid used by veterinarians on livestock to increase muscle growth and appetite. It has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human use.

Sheriff Rick Walter noted this kind of drug abuse isn't something officers run into every day.

"It never ceases to amaze me what people will do to their own bodies," he said. "Hard drug, marijuana and alcohol abuse are bad enough. Then you have methamphetamine, which every ingredient is toxic to the human body.

He continued: "There is the abuse of prescription drugs, which are meant to save lives. Now we have people abusing livestock steroids. You have to wonder what is next."

Sgt. Kevin Glaser of Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force said steroids are starting to become a little bit more prevalent in the area.

"In the last year or so, we've run into several cases involving the use of steroids," Glaser said. "Steroids are a more hidden type of abuse because the people using are generally body builders and weightlifters who are trying to speed up the process of bulking up their bodies."

Steroid use is more closed-doors than the average drug dealers so the Task Force doesn't usually run into these cases, Glaser said.

"We hear about it more than we see it because they can be a little easier to get than human growth steroids," Glaser said.