NORTH ATTLEBORO — The local man federal authorities have charged with being the leader of a large-scale steroid distribution ring made at least $350,000 in two years and purchased cars, luxury goods and real estate with the illicit drug proceeds, court papers say.
While David M. Esser, 46, says he operates a real estate business, his primary source of income is steroids, which he and co-defendants sold nationwide over bodybuilding websites for up to five years, according to an affidavit in U.S. District Court in Providence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gerard Sullivan said during Esser’s arraignment last Thursday that authorities are still looking into his finances, especially since he conducted business in the hard-to-trace cryptocurrency bitcoin.
advertisement
“This investigation establishes that Esser’s primary source of income is the large-scale distribution of steroids. He spend lavishly to buy cars, luxury goods and real estate,” an agent with U.S. Homeland Security Investigations wrote in a 140-age affidavit.
Authorities say Esser continued to sell the drugs even after being questioned by agents with the federal Food and Drug Administration in 2015, which resulted in no charges.
Esser allegedly used a financial services company to receive payments from customers but started using another company in 2018 when he began primarily using cryptocurrency as a form of payment, according to the affidavit.
It states that he received payments of more than $350,000 from the first financial company in 2017 and 2018 before switching companies, and only reported his highest annual income in five years as under $40,000.
The cars he purchased include a 2017 Chevrolet Corvette for $63,000 and a 2016 BMW X6 SUV for $36,234. The vehicles and three others were seized by federal authorities who contend they were used in the distribution of steroids.
advertisement
Esser, of 9 Fisher St., Apt. 3, also purchased a condo at 74 Oakhurst St., in North Attleboro, and a dozen properties in York, Pa. He did not file federal income tax returns for his real estate company, according to the affidavit.
His lawyer, Andrew Berg of West Warwick, declined to comment when contacted Monday by The Sun Chronicle.
Esser’s co-defendants are his ex-wife, Alison Shephard, 41, of 41 Eddy St.; James McLaughlin, 34, who lives at the same address and is now engaged to Shephard; and Mason A. Nieves, 27, of Providence.
All are free on unsecured bond and face drug and other related charges.
While investigating Esser, authorities learned Mansfield police received an anonymous tip in the spring of 2019 that Esser was selling drugs and determined he opened a post office box at the Mansfield post office, according to the affidavit.
It states North Attleboro police also received anonymous tips in August 2019 and last month, which along with the Mansfield tip corroborated information federal authorities developed.
In addition, federal authorities believe Esser and Nieves had some type of falling out in late 2019. They believe the dispute is related to Esser being assaulted in the early morning hours in early January. Police found him covered in blood from his head to his chest outside his home and unspent bullets on the ground. He declined medical attention and was initially uncooperative, according to the affidavit.
He then told police a masked man struck him in the head with a firearm after coming home from a Providence bar. He told police he and Nieves had a falling out and that he believed his attacker might be related to Nieves, according to the affidavit.
