Rissanen sentenced to over three years for serious doping offenses in North Savonia

The North Savonia District Court has sentenced 31-year-old Samuel Tapani Rissanen to a prison term of three years and one month for serious doping offenses and other lesser crimes. According to the ruling, he possessed a significant quantity of doping substances, and it was likely that he intended to distribute them illegally. The majority of these substances were considered to be the most dangerous hormones, including testosterone and anabolic steroids. The confiscated doping agents, as stated by the prosecutor, would have been sufficient for approximately 740 four-month usage periods. Doping is used for two months followed by a two-month break, meaning the substances could have effectively served about 250 individuals for a year.

While evidence of distribution was established, there was not enough proof of intent to manufacture a usable doping product from the powdered substances. In August 2022, law enforcement seized both liquid and powdered doping agents from his home, along with a large number of labels related to professional doping production. The court concluded that the quantity of substances and the presence of labels indicated an intention to distribute them illegally.

The prosecutor argued that Rissanen sought substantial financial gain from his activities, estimating the value of the doping substances to be between 50,000 and 200,000 euros based on reported street prices. In addition to the serious doping charge, Rissanen was also convicted of serious firearm offenses, drug use offenses, and drunk driving, with the firearm charge adding an additional three months to his sentence. The ruling is not yet final.