Blackstone Labs co-founder detained after crashing car

Aaron Singerman has faced escalating problems since pleading guilty to federal crimes.

Josh Long, Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal

January 14, 2022

3 Min Read
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A U.S. magistrate judge has revoked the bond conditions of Blackstone Labs co-founder Aaron Singerman and ordered that he be sent to jail—pending sentencing for federal crimes—after he drove on a suspended license and crashed his car while under the influence of a pharmaceutical drug to treat insomnia.

Problems have been mounting for Singerman, who co-founded sports supplement brand Blackstone Labs, since he pleaded guilty in November to federal crimes related to the sale of illegal products marketed as dietary supplements.

First, Singerman was arrested in November for boating under the influence after he crashed his boat into a dock and parked vessels in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to U.S. Magistrate Judge William Matthewman. Then on Jan. 7, he drove on a suspended license while under the influence of Ambien, collided with another vehicle, crossed the median and struck a palm tree, the judge wrote in his Jan. 14 order.

Singerman was treated at a hospital after fire rescue extricated him from his vehicle, according to the court order.

During a Jan. 13 hearing, in response to the government’s motion to revoke Singerman’s bond conditions, a sleep and addiction specialist, Dr. Darryl Appleton, testified he prescribed Singerman 5 milligrams of Ambien on Jan. 5 and that he spoke to his patient within a few days of his accident.

Related:Redcon1 founder enters plea agreement in Blackstone Labs case

“Dr. Appleton opined that [Singerman] had suffered from a side … effect of Ambien called parasomnia, that [he] did not intentionally drive his car and that amnesia prevents him from remembering the crash,” Matthewman stated in his order.

Matthewman, however, found Singerman “is unlikely to abide by any condition or combination of conditions of release.”

On Jan. 13, the judge ordered Singerman be incarcerated, and his written order was issued the next day. Singerman was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal for confinement in a corrections facility.

“Enough is enough,” the judge concluded. “If released, defendant presents a clear danger to the community, to persons in the community and to himself. Defendant by his conduct has forfeited his opportunity to remain on bond pending sentencing.”

In a video reportedly produced before he was detained, Singerman apologized for his actions since entering his guilty plea.

“While I didn’t expect this result, the truth is that there is a lot of anxiety attached to this—a lot for me,” Singerman said in a video that BocaNewsNow.com reposted in a story reporting on the judge's order.

According to the news report, the video was posted to Facebook by Singerman’s wife.

Since Singerman changed his plea in court, “it’s been extremely difficult for me, extremely difficult, and as a result of all the stress and anxiety, I’ve made some bad decisions that I wished I wouldn’t have made,” he shared later.

In the video, Singerman expressed regret and apologized to anyone he disappointed.

James Durham, an attorney representing Singerman, had no immediate comment about the court's order, in response to an email from Natural Products Insider.

Singerman, who also founded RedCon1, a sports supplement company, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 27 after pleading guilty to two criminal counts in a 14-count indictment: introduction of unapproved new drugs into interstate commerce with intent to defraud and mislead, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Singerman and Blackstone Labs co-founder Phillip (“PJ”) Braun, who pleaded guilty as well, each face up to 13 years in prison. Both men also have agreed to forfeit millions of dollars to the government, court records show.

Others tied to Blackstone Labs and indicted by a grand jury also await sentencing for committing federal crimes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

Josh Long

Associate editorial director, SupplySide Supplement Journal , Informa Markets Health and Nutrition

Josh Long directs the online news, feature and op-ed coverage at SupplySide Supplement Journal (formerly known as Natural Products Insider), which targets the health and wellness industry. He has been reporting on developments in the dietary supplement industry for over a decade, with a focus on regulatory issues, including at the Food and Drug Administration.

He has moderated and/or presented at industry trade shows, including SupplySide East, SupplySide West, Natural Products Expo West, NBJ Summit and the annual Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn and ping him with story ideas at [email protected]

Education and previous experience

Josh majored in journalism and graduated from Arizona State University the same year "Jake the Snake" Plummer led the Sun Devils to the Rose Bowl against the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also holds a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law, was admitted in 2008 to practice law in the state of Colorado and spent a year clerking for a state district court judge.

Over more than a quarter century, he’s written on various topics for newspapers and business-to-business publications – from the Yavapai in Arizona and a controversial plan for a nuclear-waste incinerator in Idaho to nuanced issues, including FDA enforcement of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

Since the late 1990s, his articles have been published in a variety of media, including but not limited to, the Cape Cod Times (in Massachusetts), Sedona Red Rock News (in Arizona), Denver Post (in Colorado), Casper Star-Tribune (in Wyoming), now-defunct Jackson Hole Guide (in Wyoming), Colorado Lawyer (published by the Colorado Bar Association) and Nutrition Business Journal.

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