A federal grand jury in Mobile has indicted four Arizona residents on charges connected to a yearslong conspiracy to traffic anabolic steroids, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama. The case was investigated as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative.
The defendants are identified as Laura Stratton, 43, of Phoenix; Brenna Eppley, 48, of Buckeye; Benjamin Stratton, 39, of Avondale; and Karissa Stratton, 33, of Avondale. According to court documents, the group “conspired with one another and with other persons to possess with intent to distribute anabolic steroids,” which are classified as schedule III controlled substances.
Prosecutors allege the trafficking scheme operated between October 2023 and July 2026, with the defendants sending controlled substances to Alabama and other locations. Court documents allege that between March 23 and March 30, 2026, Laura Stratton distributed trenbolone enanthate and testosterone-based compounds to the Southern District of Alabama.
The indictment also includes forfeiture notices covering two properties in Phoenix and Avondale, three vehicles, and multiple cryptocurrency wallets and financial accounts that prosecutors believe represent proceeds of the conspiracy.
The four defendants made initial court appearances in Arizona and Montana on August 5 and 6, 2026, and are scheduled to appear in the Southern District of Alabama on August 26, 2026. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison.
The investigation involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mesa and Avondale police departments in Arizona. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller is prosecuting the case as part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a federal effort that pairs multiple agencies to target trafficking networks that cross state lines.
As with all criminal cases, the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.