<p>A crackdown on Internet sales of anabolic steroids and other prescription drugs dubbed "Operation Cyber-Roid" led to criminal charges Thursday against eight defendants, including a Georgia man, in two separate cases, federal prosecutors said.</p><p>In one case, six defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald's office said in a statement.</p><p>The complaint in that case alleges that beginning in January 2003, the Web site PMeds.com took drug orders from the Tinley Park residence of Larry Calow, 44, and forwarded them to a site in Metepec, Mexico, manned by his brother, Gary Calow, 44. The drugs then were smuggled into the United States for shipment to customers, according to the complaint.</p><p>The U.S. attorney's office said PMeds.com and its sister Internet pharmacy business, PurchaseMeds, Inc., were created by the Calow brothers and co-defendant Ricky Boros, 67, of Oak Brook.</p><p>The complaint further alleges that Sergio Oliveira, 46, of Hoschton, Ga., supplied the business with steroids and other controlled substances from a business in Belize, receiving more than $198,000 in return.</p><p>It also contends that Randy Soderlund, 41, of Tinley Park, and Larry Calow's 20-year-old daughter, Beth Calow of Hobart, Ind., processed Internet orders for drugs at the Tinley Park residence.</p><p>Larry Calow, Boros, Soderlund and Beth Calow were arrested Thursday, the U.S. Attorney's office said. It was not immediately clear if they had attorneys.</p><p>In the second case, Garishkumar Ray, 54, of Glenview, was charged along with Sam Soans, of India, with conspiracy to distribute prescription drugs other than for a legitimate medical purpose. That charge also carries a penalty up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.</p><p>Prosecutors said Ray also was arrested Thursday and identified him as the chief executive officer and president of Dawn National Pharmacy (DNP). They said Soans was the marketing manager of the Web site dnrxpharmacy.com. DNP occasionally filled drug orders for the Calow brothers, prosecutors said.</p><p>Attempts to reach the defendants living in the U.S. by telephone Thursday evening were unsuccessful. Larry Calow, Beth Calow, Boros, and Oliveira did not have listed telephones, while Soderlund and Ray had unpublished numbers.</p>
