An alleged steroids ring involving four men, led by a 46-year-old Bethel businessman with a history of involvement with Bethel youth sports programs named Mark Mansa, was busted Tuesday, March 15, for selling steroids to people in the Danbury area and, according to investigators, local high school athletes.
Richard Sciaccentano, who is said to be tied to the Bonnano crime family; Kevin Lubic, associated with the Hells Angels motorcycle club in New Rochelle, N.Y.; and Glenn Wagner of Brookfield were also arrested.
I cannot speak on behalf of surrounding towns' communities, but as a lifelong Danbury resident and an alumni of Danbury schools, reports of local high school athletes buying, let alone consuming, steroids is very hard for me to believe and apparently, I am not the only one who was surprised by the news.Town leaders, including coaches, administrators, and former athletes in towns such as Danbury, New Milford, Brookfield, and Newtown, were all surprised by the news that local high school athletes were apparently some of Mansa's steroid-buying customers because they had never heard or suspected that there was a steroid problem in their community.
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said that the town provides police assistance in investigations but has "never heard about steroids being a problem in Danbury" (FitzGerald).
According to New Milford Police Lt. Larry Ash, his department has had no involvement in any investigation pertaining to steroid-dealers targeting high school-aged youth.
Allison Fulton is the executive director of the Housatonic Valley Coalition against Substance Abuse (HVCASA) and is "in close contact with police, school officials, and parents regarding drug issues" (FitzGerald), and about six years ago she "provided some drug prevention programs around steroid use after some schools in the state had some cases of steroid use" (FitzGerald).
However, Fulton and her coalition group have heard about the use of heroin, opiates, prescription drugs, and new drugs like salvia within the last six years, but "haven't heard of an upswing of steroids," she said.
Dorrie Carolan, co-founder of Newtown Parent Connection, a substance abuse organization comprised of concerned parents and citizens; said that a couple parents called two years ago because they were worried about their children's steroid use, but Carolan said that she has not heard anything related to steroids lately.
Based on information such as that provided by Fulton, Carolan, and my own experience as a member of the Danbury area's youth, it is easy to see that any steroid issue in the Danbury area—if one even exists at all—is not as serious as the articles related to the arrest of Mansa's steroids ring are making it seem.
However, Fulton and her coalition group have heard about the use of heroin, opiates, prescription drugs, and new drugs like salvia within the last six years, but "haven't heard of an upswing of steroids," she said.
Dorrie Carolan, co-founder of Newtown Parent Connection, a substance abuse organization comprised of concerned parents and citizens; said that a couple parents called two years ago because they were worried about their children's steroid use, but Carolan said that she has not heard anything related to steroids lately.
Based on information such as that provided by Fulton, Carolan, and my own experience as a member of the Danbury area's youth, it is easy to see that any steroid issue in the Danbury area—if one even exists at all—is not as serious as the articles related to the arrest of Mansa's steroids ring are making it seem.
