SI: Feds likely to subpoena elite athletes in Galea HGH investigation

Sports Illustrated ^ | 02/28/10 | David Epstein and Melissa Segura

[OldDeckHand]

Federal law enforcement officials have alerted a number of world-class athletes to expect grand jury subpoenas in the case against Canadian physician Anthony Galea, three sources familiar with the investigation tell SI.com.

While it is unclear which athletes and how many will be subpoenaed, it is an indication that the multi-agency, federal investigation of Galea is progressing. According to a December story in The New York Times, Galea's medical assistant told investigators that he had administered performance-enhancing drugs to professional athletes. The FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Food and Drug Administration investigators are working together on the case. Galea has stated that he did not provide performance-enhancing drugs to athletes. According to two sources familiar with the investigation, law enforcement officials have been in touch with NFL players who have used Galea's services.

Galea, who is based in Toronto, faces charges in his native Canada of conspiring to smuggle human growth hormone (HGH) and the drug Actovegin into the U.S., conspiracy to smuggle prohibited goods into Canada, unlawfully selling Actovegin, and smuggling goods into Canada in violation of the Customs Act. The doctor's client list is elite; it includes Tiger Woods, U.S. Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, Broncos quarterback Chris Simms, former Browns running back Jamal Lewis, Mets shortstop Jose Reyes and Donovan Bailey of Canada, who won the 100 meters at the 1996 Olympics. These athletes have acknowledged being treated by Galea but deny receiving any performance-enhancing drugs from him. Known as a progressive if not unorthodox physician, Galea developed a loyal following among athletes for his use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, a legal procedure thought to potentially speed recovery from injury.

[OldDeckHand]

Sorry to see Dara Torres name there. Hopefully, she's just an unknowing patient. Tiger Woods needs this greif like he needs night in a cat house. And, this is the most telling sentence in the whole story...

HGH is banned by Major League Baseball and by the NFL, but neither league tests for it.

Reagan said trust but verify. Apparently, neither sport wants to know if HGH is being taken by their athletes.

[cherry]

HGH is the real story.....theh likes of Payrod will admit sheepishly to steroids,but the truth IMO is that HGH is the real enhancer....look at Bonds...

but I don't know anyway to check for it....

[chiefqc]

And I’m sure money, or the possibility of making money, has nothing to do with sticking your head in the sand and pretending it does not happen.

[an amused spectator]

"Federal law enforcement officials have alerted a number of world-class athletes to expect grand jury subpoenas..."

Oh, THANK GOD! I was worried that federal law enforcement was going to get sidetracked by trivial matters, like the wholesale looting of the taxpayer & American consumer by Timmy, Bennie & their Bankster buddies.

Glad to see the IMPORTANT STUFF is being taken care of!

[OldDeckHand]

"Oh, THANK GOD! I was worried that federal law enforcement was going to get sidetracked by trivial matters, like the wholesale looting of the taxpayer & American consumer by Timmy, Bennie & their Bankster buddies."

You have to read the whole story. It's not so much about athletes taking performance enhancing drugs as it is about a doctor smuggling drugs into the country as well as prescribing medication without a US license, both serious charges.