PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – A Land O’ Lakes man has pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the distribution of anabolic steroids and possession of an unregistered firearm.
Mitchell Bunkowske, 32, admitted to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids, a Schedule III controlled substance. He also pleaded guilty to possessing an unregistered FN Herstal PS90 rifle with a shortened barrel.
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According to court documents, Bunkowske operated as a steroid supplier from January 2019 to June 2021, selling and shipping the controlled substances to customers across the United States. He also supplied steroids to middlemen who further distributed them, including to members of the U.S. Navy.
A search of Bunkowske’s home in June 2021 uncovered a large quantity of steroids and the unregistered firearm. Federal law requires registration of firearms with specific modifications, such as the shortened barrel on Bunkowske’s rifle.
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Bunkowske faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
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