PowerMedica founder charged with illegally selling growth hormones.

The founder of two Deerfield Beach firms suspected of illegally selling human growth hormones and anabolic steroids was criminally charged this week after a five-year federal investigation.

Thousands of customers of PowerMedica and Metragen Pharmaceuticals obtained anti-aging, muscle-building drugs without valid prescriptions under Daniel L. Dailey's watch, according to federal charges filed late Wednesday. Dailey was PowerMedica's chief executive officer and later ran Metragen, a company he started.

Dailey, of Deerfield Beach, also is accused of hiring a dentist and a doctor with a revoked medical license to sign off on some of those prescriptions without needed medical reviews. Efforts by the Sun Sentinel to reach Dailey by e-mail for comment Thursday were unsuccessful.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration raided PowerMedica's office at 600 W. Hillsboro Blvd. in February 2005, carting off boxes of drugs and 16 file cabinets. The business shut down eight months later, but federal authorities say Dailey transferred its assets to Metragen. Federal authorities allege Metragen continued to sell drugs without valid prescriptions until January 2007.

Dailey, 50, faces two criminal charges — conspiracy to unlawfully distribute human growth hormones and conspiracy to distribute steroids. Each charge carries up to five years in prison.

Federal authorities also unsealed a four-count indictment this week against James M. D'Amico, the dentist accused of lying about being a medical doctor and signing off on improper prescriptions. D'Amico, who federal authorities say was PowerMedica's chief medical consultant, faces the same drug charges as Dailey. In addition, he has been charged with two counts of lying to the federal grand jury that investigated the company.

D'Amico was arrested Tuesday in Central Florida, court documents show.

Earlier this month, New York doctor Manuel Sanguily was charged with rubber-stamping prescriptions for PowerMedica. Sanguily's first court appearance is scheduled for April 23.

PowerMedica opened in 2000, advertising in bodybuilding and fitness magazines as well as on the Internet. Customers would call in, often seeking human growth hormones for non-medical uses like bodybuilding or athletic enhancement, according to court records.

Salespeople, many without any medical background or training, would prepare a custom drug order for clients. Oftentimes, customers would get their prescriptions without having a doctor review their medical history forms or ever meet with them, federal authorities allege.