Achi news desk-
A Melbourne sports medicine clinic raked in $100,000 a week with its owner using it as a front to sell anabolic steroids and write off prescriptions pre-signed by a NSW doctor, a court heard on Friday.
Detectives arrested Robin James Taylor, 55, on Thursday following a five-month investigation that led to raids on his business, the Melbourne Anti-Aging and Sports Medicine Clinic at Moonee Ponds, his home and a factory.
He was charged with several offenses including trafficking a commercial quantity of drugs and steroids, and being in possession of the proceeds of crime.
Prosecutors in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday alleged that Taylor was behind an “elaborate illegal scheme” selling human growth hormones, steroids and other drugs under the guise of being a medical practitioner.
Detectives allegedly found hundreds of vials of testosterone during the raids and seized $700,000 in cash from a safe at the Somerton factory, in the north of the city, and 17 luxury cars with a combined value of around $3 million, the court.
The luxury cars include Corvette, Lamborghinis, Holden Toranas and Peter Brock’s Holden Commodore VK SS.
Detectives also allegedly found a pre-signed prescription book from a legitimate NSW doctor who was receiving $2000 a week in return for the business using the pre-signed prescriptions, prosecutors told the court .
Label printers were also found in a “pharmacy room” and certificates that appeared to be expired or fake, according to prosecutors.
Police successfully fought Taylor’s bail application, with Senior Constable Alana Meachem saying the 55-year-old had a friend who took him to dinner in a helicopter.
“The accused has amassed considerable wealth and, as such, will be a flight risk,” Sen Const Meachem told the court.
“He has other means of being a flight risk rather than just going to an airport.”
Along with his luxury cars, Taylor had a number of expensive items including a $250,000 Louis Vuitton dining table and chairs, Sen Const Meachem said.
Taylor’s barrister, John Dickinson KC, argued that his client had his wife, children and long-standing business in Australia and was not going anywhere.
The court heard that Taylor had previously served time in prison for similar offenses and was on a three-year suspended sentence for trafficking testosterone at the time of his arrest.
Mr Dickinson acknowledged his client’s “checkered” past, but claimed there were flaws in the case and denied Taylor was a flight risk.
He noted that the police had failed to obtain statements from 12 people who claimed to have entered Taylor’s business and came out with blue plastic bags, which they believed were evidence of human trafficking.
“It is a big thing, Your Honour, to lock someone up for two years when they are presumed innocent and there appear to be significant flaws in the prosecution’s case,” said Mr Dickinson.
Magistrate Peter Reardon admitted that much of the case appeared to be based on suspicion and speculation, but emphasized that the matter was still in its early days.
He noted that Taylor was not qualified to possess or traffic drugs of addiction, and earlier questioned why he previously had three different names, which the accused attributed to family reasons.
Mr Dickinson said: “There has never been any problem with him as the owner of the business.”
Taylor had a history of using false documents, the court was told.
The magistrate also questioned in court earlier whether “too many people who run health shops … would have those types of cars”, and noted that Taylor had been jailed for three years at a time when to still be running the business.
Mr Reardon denied Taylor’s bail application but said that did not mean his chance of parole would be revoked as the case progressed.
He is expected to appear in court next on June 21.
