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Sylvester Stallone Fined on Hormone Conviction

American actor, Sylvester Stallone, was charged in an Australian court for bringing muscle-building hormones in the country, without declaring them at customs. Stallone was convicted, found guilty and ordered to pay nearly $10,000. The amount included a $2000 fine and the rest in court costs. Stallone, best known for his roles in the ?Rocky? and ?Rambo? film series, could have faced up to $90,000 in fines and/or 5 years in prison.

It was found that Stallone entered Australia in February of this year, carrying in his luggage 48 vials of the human growth hormone, Jintropin. Despite the fact that the actor had a prescription for the drugs, he failed to declare them at customs and was stopped for a routine check by airport officials. It was further shown that when officials arrived at his Sydney hotel room to perform another check of his luggage, Stallone threw four vials out of the hotel window, an act that was declared a ?consciousness of guilt? by the Australian court that convicted him.

Deputy Chief Magistrate of New South Wales, Mr. Paul Cloran, said that he was satisfied with the verdict and with the fact that so much publicity surrounded the case, meaning that a strong message was going out about the consequences of being caught. Cloran noted: ?I don?t think there is anything further the court should or could do in order to deter Mr. Stallone from committing these offenses again.? Stallone was visiting Australia to promote the last of his ?Rocky? movies ? ?Rocky Balboa?.