Federal steroid trafficking trial opens for ex-Steelers doctor

January 11, 2017 2:44 PM





Pittsburgh Post-Gazette


The federal government said today that it will prove over the next few months that former Pittsburgh Steelers doctor Richard Rydze illegally prescribed steroids, improperly prescribed human growth hormone to patients and stole another Steelers doctor's registration so he could write painkiller prescriptions in the name of his dead father and his brother in Iowa.


His lawyer disputed some of the Justice Department's claims but focused largely on intent, essentially saying Mr. Rydze was not able to form intent to commit crimes because he is addicted to Vicodin, which he used to self-treat a diabetic foot wound.


Mr. Rydze, 66, a Steelers and UPMC internist until 2007, went on trial today on 185 counts related to trafficking of steroids, HGH and narcotic painkillers, as well as obstruction of justice in what the government said was an attempt to get his brother to lie for him when he knew the FBI was investigating.


There is no evidence that any Steelers players were involved.


The case involves massive amounts of evidence, including recordings from wired informants and boxes of medical records, and the jury trial is expected to last up to three months.


"I appreciate that the volume is huge," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Skutnik of the U.S. attorney's office in Cleveland in her opening statement. "This is just a thumbnail sketch."


The Cleveland office is handling the case because Mr. Rydze was also the doctor for the FBI office in Pittsburgh.


The prosecution is broken down into three main parts pertaining to the drugs Mr. Rydze is accused of doling out.


On human growth hormone, Ms. Skutnik said he prescribed it for patients who had no need for it and had the prescriptions filled out at the pharmacy of an alleged co-conspirator, William Sadowski of McKees Rocks, who pleaded guilty and will be a government witness.


Among the other witnesses will be Steve Thomas, a former professional bodybuilder who wore a wire for the FBI. Ms. Skutnik said recordings indicate Mr. Rydze prescribing human growth hormone to Mr. Thomas to "jack up" his testosterone for bodybuilding.


Mr. Thomas's transactions and others like it were handled through direct payment with cash or credit cards because Mr. Rydze said insurance will not pay for HGH therapy if someone is not shown to be deficient in it, according to the prosecution.


Mr. Rydze also conspired with Brentwood business owner James Hatzimbes, according to the government, to distribute anabolic steroids to customers at "steroid clinics" the two men ran. Mr. Hatzimbes pleaded guilty on Monday and will be a witness.


Ms. Skutnik said Mr. Rydze also used the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration registration number of Dr. Anthony Yates, head of the Steelers medical team, to write prescriptions for painkillers.


Adrian Roe, Mr. Rydze's lawyer, defended his client's prescriptions of HGH, saying he was among a group of UPMC doctors who had done research on HGH and that he used it legitimately to treat medical conditions even though insurance would not pay for its use.


He did not directly challenge the government on its claims of steroid and painkiller distribution, instead arguing that his client's mind was altered by his addiction to Vicodin. He said Mr. Rydze's foot wound grew steadily worse until he made a "mistake" and started treating it himself with Vicodin and descended into addiction.


"Did you ever hear of someone having feet of clay?" he asked the jury. "Dick Rydze had a clay foot. And that clay foot is a major reason why we are sitting here."


Testimony will begin Thursday.