Local "Legal" HRT company busted....

**OGPackin** · 02-17-2005, 08:29 AM

I guess this is a big thing here in the Palm Beach area. AR's new sponser is in the same area.....Maybe you should rethink your relationship with them...?

OG

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...home-headlines

Deerfield firm suspected of selling mislabeled hormones, steroids over the web

By Rafael A. Olmeda
Staff Writer
Posted February 17 2005

Federal agents who raided a Deerfield Beach drug company Tuesday were looking for mislabeled human-growth hormones and anabolic steroids sold without valid prescriptions, according to search warrants released by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami on Wednesday.

Undercover investigators from the Food and Drug Administration went onto the Internet Web site of PowerMedica last summer and ordered Stanozolol , an anabolic steroid , according to an affidavit accompanying the search warrants. The package arrived at a FDA agent's address with instructions and an invoice, including a form indicating that the steroid was prescribed by Dr. Abi Almarashi.

The FDA agent, Julie Pohutsky, never visited or met with anyone by that name, or anyone else with PowerMedica at the time, according to the affidavit.

Acting undercover, Pohutsky later bought Nandrolone Decanoate, another anabolic steroid, without seeing a doctor or obtaining a prescription, the affidavit states. She then called PowerMedica, met with a representative named Tony Jones, and arranged to purchase the human-growth hormone (hGH) Genotropin, which is approved by the FDA for treating pediatric growth hormone deficiency. Agents claim PowerMedica sold it to Pohutsky as an anti-aging product.

"Pohutsky stated that she was interested in hGH to look and feel younger and to get into better physical shape," the affidavit states.

According to the affidavit, Dr. Abdul Almarashi was listed as the prescribing physician, even though Pohutsky never met him. According to the Florida Department of Health, there is no Abdul or Abi Almarashi with a license to practice medicine anywhere in Florida.

The documents were released late in the day. Earlier, PowerMedica CEO Daniel L. Dailey said he did not know what investigators were seeking, or who their source of information was.

"The only thing that would make sense is there is a disgruntled employee making claims about us, or this is part of a steroid witch hunt," he said, adding that the company does make steroids, but only gives them out with prescriptions. Through its Internet site, PowerMedica serves clients all across the country, he said.

"I don't know why we've been singled out," he said. "I've been told by our attorneys that we're in full compliance with the law."

The affidavit indicates that a "cooperating private individual" who is not a federal agent joined the investigation earlier this month, confirming suspicions that PowerMedica was importing human-growth hormones from China, using the name of a Dr. Almarashi as the prescribing physician on "the majority of prescriptions."

The information provided by that witness helped officials intercept two packages of the hormone intended for PowerMedica at a postal facility in Deerfield Beach.

Federal agents ended up seizing boxes of the hormones and steroids, 16 file cabinets containing prescription information, and a letter from a law firm to PowerMedica referring to personal injuries.

U.S. Attorney's spokesman Carlos Castillo declined to comment on the significance of the letter, or to answer any other questions.

Attempts to reach Dailey after the documents were released were unsuccessful.

**Aboot** · 02-17-2005, 08:35 AM

Originally Posted by OGPackin

I guess this is a big thing here in the Palm Beach area. AR's new sponser is in the same area.....Maybe you should rethink your relationship with them...?

You might not want to insinuate that a board sponsor is involved in a criminal activity without any proof.

**OGPackin** · 02-17-2005, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by Aboot

You might not want to insinuate that a board sponsor is involved in a criminal activity without any proof.

Maybe you better go find your nutz....gimmie a break.....

OG

**Maraxus** · 02-17-2005, 09:07 AM

**** thats right around the corner. I caught that on the news last night.

**GetinBig** · 02-17-2005, 09:24 AM

Thats some shìt..

**SwoleCat** · 02-17-2005, 11:06 AM

I know I'd be keepin' my nose clean.

~SC~

**dirtdawg** · 02-17-2005, 11:18 AM

from what i heard, they are a lab that was making there own gear, and had a fake dr, so they were illegally prescribing gh

**Jantzen4k** · 02-17-2005, 11:23 AM

tell feds to go look for cocaine and heroin getting into this country and stop worrying about steriods .

all because of canseco and baseball now

**RussianVodka** · 02-17-2005, 08:17 PM

WoW!!! It is good to know

**MrMondodondo** · 02-17-2005, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by dirtdawg

from what i heard, they are a lab that was making there own gear, and had a fake dr, so they were illegally prescribing gh

Exactly what I heard as well. They were not even having their batches tested!

**RussianVodka** · 02-17-2005, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by MrMondodondo

Exactly what I heard as well. They were not even having their batches tested!

They are licensed farmacy according license on the web site.

**SplinterCell** · 02-17-2005, 08:39 PM

Good thing none of us here use, buy, sell or condone the use of steriods

***system admin*** · 02-17-2005, 09:25 PM

It is a fact that the cops did go in and take the guy away in hand cuffs. No one was arrested. The guy appeared on television that same night with the news crew going through his building and lab. He makes many of his own products and many of them did not live up to FDA standards. He was also giving drugs to guys without proper blood tests and physicals. This guy once had the staff virus growing in his lab and infected some drugs he was making. A mid 20's guy had to get a hip replacment due to the infected drug. This company, from what I hear has had several problems. The companies that do this correctly are not in danger of getting into trouble. They know the guidelines. If I knew that our sponsors EVER purposely unlawfully provided these products, I would have them off this site ASAP. We do alot for members. Bringing them this legit option was just one of them. It may not be for everyone, but it has and is helping many people legally.

Bc

bc

***system admin*** · 02-17-2005, 09:27 PM

By the way... I have a copy of the doctors info (of our sponsor) and have checked him out. He is legit and is following the law as far as we know.

bc

**OGPackin** · 02-18-2005, 08:11 AM

Sorry i didnt mean to stir anything up. Im local to the place and i just wanted to make sure this didnt come back to bite AR on the backside for having a similar company as a sponsor in the same area as the one that got busted. Im sure this bust will make them look a little harder at everyone else....Anyway, there's more news to the story...Seems they found a bunch of local cops/swat on their client list.....Those dang cops...hahaha

OG

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...home-headlines

**RussianVodka** · 02-18-2005, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by OGPackin

Sorry i didnt mean to stir anything up. Im local to the place and i just wanted to make sure this didnt come back to bite AR on the backside for having a similar company as a sponsor in the same area as the one that got busted. Im sure this bust will make them look a little harder at everyone else....Anyway, there's more news to the story...Seems they found a bunch of local cops/swat on their client list.....Those dang cops...hahaha

OG

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...home-headlines

It's getting more and more interesting. Keep us posted.