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York County man charged after 9,000-plus doses of steroids found in Tega Cay home

A Tega Cay man has been charged after drug agents seized more than 9,000 doses of steroids from his home, according to police and court records.

Brendan Wayne Van Nostrand, 30, was arrested Tuesday at his home on Point Clear Drive after police executed a search warrant at the house, said B.J. Kennedy, commander of the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit. Van Nostrand is charged with possession of steroids and possession of THC, an ingredient found in marijuana.

Agents found 914 bottles of anabolic steroids that make up 9,044 doses, according to a York County Sheriff’s Office incident report from Tuesday’s raid and arrest.

What are steroids?

According to the federal government, anabolic steroids are, “synthetic, or human-made, variations of the male sex hormone testosterone.” Some common names for anabolic steroids are Gear, Juice, Roids, and Stackers, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The NIH says health care providers can prescribe steroids to treat hormonal issues and diseases that cause muscle loss, such as cancer and AIDS. But some athletes and bodybuilders misuse these drugs to boost performance or improve their physical appearance, the NIH says on its Web site..

It is illegal in South Carolina to possess steroids without a prescription, according to Kennedy and South Carolina law.

The law states: “It is unlawful for any person who is not a practitioner, pharmacist, or veterinarian to knowingly or intentionally possess anabolic steroids as defined in this article unless the steroids were obtained directly from, or pursuant to a valid prescription or order of, a practitioner while acting in the course of his professional practice. It is unlawful for any person who is not a practitioner, pharmacist, or veterinarian to knowingly or intentionally prescribe, dispense, deliver, or administer anabolic steroids to a person.”

A conviction for possession of steroids carries up to five years in prison, South Carolina law shows.

THC and cash also found

County drug agents, made up of police officers from the York County Sheriff’s office and police from Rock Hill, Fort Mill, York, Clover, Tega Cay and Winthrop University, searched the home where the drugs were found, Kennedy said.

Agents also seized 17 grams of THC and more than $14,000 in cash, according to the incident report. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the substance that’s primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state, according to the National Institute of Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Van Nostrand was released from the York County jail after his first court appearance where he posted $15,000 bail, according to officials and records.