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A former North Carolina police officer has been charged with manufacturing testosterone, a steroid that promotes muscle growth, according to court documents.
Owen Phillips, 40, who once served as a Clayton Police officer was indicted by a grand jury Tuesday. He was charged with possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver testosterone; sale and delivery of testosterone; and manufacture of testosterone, the documents stated.
“The Johnston County District Attorney and the Clayton Police Department asked the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation in August to review allegations of failure or neglect to perform official duties by Philips and his possible use and sale of a schedule three controlled substance,” bureau spokeswoman Angie Grube wrote in an email to The Charlotte Observer.
Phillips resigned from the department in August and days before the investigation against him was opened, several news reports said.
“By the nature of police work, officers are frequently under both physical and mental stress. Stressful environments affect hormonal responses; specifically changes in testosterone (decreased) to cortisol (increased) ratios,” Officer.com cited in a 2014 article. “Studies have found free testosterone values were significantly lower in policemen than in control groups.”
Prosecutors say Phillips was marketing and manufacturing the testosterone between April and July 2020.
