'Breaking Bad' type dad made over £430,000 of steroids in 'underground lab' to buy overseas properties
A dad of two who made more than £430,000 worth of anabolic steroids in an underground laboratory used the proceeds to buy properties abroad, a court heard.
Nathan Maddock, 40, from Pontypridd, was found to have assets including an apartment in Bulgaria, a house in Turkey and a number of rental properties in Porth.
Speaking at Cardiff Crown Court, his barrister Andrew Taylor likened getting involved with the enterprise to 'joining the Mafia'.
The court heard Maddock was arrested in November 2016 and accepted being involved in preparing and bottling steroids for six years.
Christopher Evans, prosecuting, said the police became involved after the he failed to pay rent on a storage unit in Pontyclun. Officers searched his address on Maes Y Wennol, which was empty and overgrown.
Police found anabolic steroids, along with materials for their production, packaging and distribution.
The total value of the steroids recovered was £436,344.95 and Maddock was found to have more than £80,000 in his bank accounts.
He was arrested on November 10, 2016 and initially gave a “no comment” interview. When he was interviewed again a fortnight later he accepted he was responsible for producing and bottling steroids.
Maddock said he wanted to stop, but the person he was making the drugs for would not allow him to and he refused to give that person’s name.
In a third police interview in March last year, Maddock stated he was “in a rut” and 'fell in with the wrong people'.
Prosecutors alleged he was part of a larger national network and was motivated by financial gain.
Mr Taylor said he was “extremely frank” in his police interview and was relieved when he was arrested because it gave him a chance to “escape”
His barrister said he has already paid £15,000 and has managed to secure a job with a technology company paying him £500 a day.
Maddock, of Dyffryn Y Coed in Pontypridd, admitted 10 counts of possessing anabolic steroids with intent to supply and one count of acquiring criminal property and was jailed for two and a half years.