Concluding an 18-month police operation named "Operation Dumbbell," police arrested two dozen people in a steroid peddling ring that operated out of two Queens gyms. Among the arrested was a female professional boxer who fought under the nickname "Checkmate." 25-year-old Cindy Serrano is awaiting arraignment along with her husband Jordan Maldonado, who is a manager and trainer at the Envy Us Gym. That gym and the Powerhouse Gym allegedly made thousands of dollars a week selling steroids and other drugs like cocaine, Oxycontin, Vicodin, and Ecstasy. Both businesses were padlocked under court order. Maldonado was featured in a Showtime documentary about bouncers seven years ago, according to the New York Post. In the program, Maldonado said he relished the violence of his job and hoped and prayed for someone to do something while he was working that would give him license to beat them.
The raids on Thursday included the upscale residence of one of the suppliers, where cops found a $240,000 Bentley and $86,000 motorcycle on display, as well as gallons of liquid steroids. The suspect at that address attempted to flee out of a upper floor window while in his underwear but was caught by police. Undercover cops bought drugs dozens of times at the two gyms during the investigation. No other professional boxers are suspected of purchasing and using steroids.
(Photo of Cindy Serrano from womenboxing.com)
