Capitola Man Arrested In Steroid Trafficking Probe

Santa Cruz County and federal agents on Thursday arrested a Capitola man on suspicion of the illegal sale of steroids after he received an overseas package containing 2,500 suspected steroid pills, authorities said.

Keith Atwood, 54, was captured at 6:15 p.m. Thursday at his home in the 900 block of Capitola Avenue after local and federal officers made a controlled delivery of the package, Santa Cruz County Anti-Crime Team Narcotics Task Force supervisor Peter Hansen said.

Agents from the task force and special agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency took Atwood into custody following a months-long investigation, Hansen said.

The agents served a search warrant after Atwood accepted the package with the 2,500 suspected steroid pills.

Authorities found 1,383 other steroid pills along with liquid steroids in his home, Hansen said. The types of liquid steroids located in Atwood's residence included Stanozolol, Clomed, Provironum, Oxymetholone, Mesterolone, Testosterone Cypionate, Synovex H, Nandrolone decanoate and Danabol, Hansen said.

Agents also recovered counterfeit versions of the male sexual dysfunction drugs Viagra and Cialis, Hansen said.

Authorities later seized a loaded .380 9mm Kurz semi-automatic handgun and $82,000 in cash that they believe were proceeds Atwood received from the sale of steroids, Hansen said.

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