STA, 9 July 2019 - The United States government is offering millions of dollars for information that could lead to the arrest of Slovenian citizen Mihael Karner and two accomplices suspected of having made millions of dollars selling steroids online.
The US State Department has offered up to five million dollars each for information helping in the arrest of Karner, his brother Matevž Karner and Matevž's wife Alenka Karner, who have been the target of US law enforcement for several years, according to a message circulated by the US Embassy in Slovenia on Tuesday.
Mihael Karner has been described by the US government as a "drug trafficker allegedly responsible for the manufacture and distribution of hundreds of thousands dose units of anabolic steroids to the US" using a complex scheme of websites and shell companies.
In a 2010 federal indictment he was charged with conspiracy to distribute anabolic steroids, conspiracy to import anabolic steroids and conspiracy to launder money.
Mihael Karner and his wife were arrested in Austria in late 2011 but managed to avoid extradition to the US by challenging an extradition order until they were released on bail, by which time they returned to Slovenia, which does not have an extradition agreement with the US.
What is more, until 2008 selling anabolic steroids had not been a crime in Slovenia, which made the country a safe haven for the Karners. Even a US request for asset forfeiture was denied by a Slovenian court.
The family live in Slovenia and last year Mihael Karner announced a major real estate development in Ljubljana believed to be worth millions.
Learn more about Karner, and the reward, here
