Friday, December 24, 2010

Calvin Barry, Criminal Lawyer in Toronto


Calvin Barry's staff and friends attend his annual Christmas party at the Albany Club, December 9, 2010.
From left to right: Deneish Bygrave (Paralegal to Calvin Barry), Angela Falconi (Paralegal to Calvin Barry), Robert Wheeler (Paralegal Student), __ , Far right: Joan Kosmenko (Paralegal Student Instructor).

Calvin Barry, Toronto Lawyer


Calvin Barry speaks at his annual Christmas Party to raise money for "Autism Speaks Canada".

Calvin Barry, Toronto Lawyer


You are invited to:

A Christmas Party
hosted by:
CALVIN BARRY

Thursday, December 9th 2010

at the Albany Club
91 King Street East

5:00 pm

live music, hors d’oeuvres, cocktails

RSVP at (416) 364-1224 ext. 28

Funds will be raised to benefit
Autism Speaks Canada
In honour of TEAM CJ

Monday, November 29, 2010

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Calvin Barry

When a police officer pulls you over in Ontario, and if s/he detects alcohol
on one's breath, the officer can make a demand for you to provide a sample
into an approved screening device. If you fail that test, this provides
reasonable and probable grounds for the policer officer to arrest you, have
your car towed, and make a breath demand.

Your license will be suspended for 90 days under the Highway Traffic Act and
on the 91st day, provided you have no prior record, you can attend at any
Ministry of Transporation and pay the $150 reinstatement fee to have your
license reinstated. In several jurisdictions in Toronto and the GTA, if
there is a trial, it will be about one year away.

When you go to the police station, you will be presented to a qualified
breathalyzer technician and will have to provide two samples into the Intoxilyzer 5000 or Intoxilyzer 8000, commonly used throughout Ontario.
If you provide a sample that is in excess of 80 milligrams in 100
millilitres of blood then you will be charged with "Over 80".

Another scenario is if you are exhibiting obvious signs of impairment, the
police officer does not have to administer the approved screening device,
but will have reasonable and probable grounds to arrest you for "Impaired
Driving of a Motor Vehicle." Even if you have the keys in your pocket and
you are sitting behind the wheel of your vehicle and it is not on you can be
charged with "Care and Control," "Impaired" and/or "Over 80" of a motor
vehicle.

At the police station you will be allowed to speak to a Duty Counsel lawyer
who will advise you of your rights. It is usually advisable to always
provide the two samples of your breath as refusing to provide a sample does
not come with many legal defences. Sometimes, people have breathing
difficulties and attempt but cannot provide a suitable sample, and then one
would be charged with "Failure to Provide an Adequate Sample."

Impaired, Over 80, Failure to provide sample, Refusal to provide sample, all
come with the same consequences - that being a 90 day administrative
suspension regardless if you are ultimately acquitted at trial, a $1000
fine, one year prohibition, and in the second year of driving you have to
install an interlock device that unless you blow zero blood alcohol the
vehicle will not start up. In addition you have to take the 'Back on Track'
program, which is a course on the perils of drinking and driving.

On August 1, 2010 provincial provisions were enacted that, if eligible they
allow you to plead guilty and after 90 days of driving prohibition, you are
allowed to drive for employment purposes with the interlock provision
installed in your vehicle. If you have prior convictions, or the readings
are quite high, or if there was an accident, you will likely not be eligible
for this program.

Other consequences of being convicted by guilty plea or after a trial of
drinking and driving are that you will have a criminal record, you may have
difficulty crossing into U.S.A., you will have fingerprints and photos of
yourself on the Canadian Police Information Computer system that is used by
police Canada wide. Employment difficulties - as many people have to be
bonded.

-Calvin Barry

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Vakhtang Makhniashvili makes court appearance on attempted murder charges

Vakhtang Makhniashvili appears in a Toronto court on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault, November 5, 2010.
Photo Credit: Alex Tavshunsky

Pat Hewitt, The Canadian Press: Wednesday, November 10, 2010

TORONTO - The father of missing Toronto teen Mariam Makhniashvili will remain in jail on an unrelated attempted murder charge.

Vakhtang Makhniashvili waived his right to a bail hearing on Wednesday and consented to stay behind bars.

Outside court his lawyer, Calvin Barry, said Makhniashvili could not find a suitable surety to post bail - but added he might seek bail at a later date.

"I consented to the detention order given that we don't have a real plan from the second set of allegations in terms of suitable sureties at this time," Barry said.

"The wife's doing fine. I had a good talk with her today. He's doing fine. I spoke to him in the courtroom today."

Makhniashvili, 50, was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and failure to comply with bail conditions after a couple were stabbed in front of their east-end home last Thursday.

The couple, David and Delores Langer, had posted bail for Makhniashvili after he was charged with stabbing a neighbour in May.

The couple did not know Makhniashvili before that incident, and pulled their bail promise after Makhniashvili told local media he was suspicious of the motives of David Langer, who is a private detective.

The Langers have said they were only trying to help and felt hurt by his suspicions.

Makhniashvili's wife, Lela Tabidze, would not be considered a suitable surety for the latest charges because Makhniashvili is alleged to have violated house arrest on the previous charges, Barry said Wednesday.

Barry added he hopes to get a psychiatric exam for his client, who is in protective custody in the medical wing at the Metro West Detention Centre, later this week.

Mariam was 17 when she went missing after arriving at Forest Hill Collegiate on Sept. 14, 2009. The only solid clue was the discovery of her backpack and some school books in a parking lot the following month.

The Makhniashvili family, originally from the Republic of Georgia, had only been in Toronto for three months when their daughter disappeared. The parents lived in Los Angeles for five years before moving to Toronto, while Mariam and her brother lived with their grandparents in Georgia.

Vakhtang Makhniashvili said his daughter knew about calling 911, and police said at the time of her disappearance that she knew enough English to make herself understood.

Police have received tips of possible sightings of the missing girl from across Canada and beyond, and have urged anyone who knows Makhniashvili's whereabouts to contact police.

Earlier last week Makhniashvili said his son ran away overnight because his family wanted him to concentrate on math and the boy wanted to play guitar.

http://www.globaltoronto.com/Vakhtang+Makhniashvili+makes+court+appearance+attempted+murder+charges/3807916/story.html

Mariam's dad stays behind bars

Vakhtang Makhniashvili, seen in this file photo, was unshaven in Wednesday's court appearance. (JACK BOLAND, Toronto Sun)

By MICHELE MANDEL, Toronto Sun

Vakhtang Makhniashvili will remain behind bars for now at the request of his lawyer.

Counsel Calvin Barry waived a bail hearing at College Park courts Wednesday and is hoping to set a December date for a preliminary hearing. Unshaven and wan in his orange jumpsuit, the father of missing Mariam briefly glanced at his wife in the courtroom.

Barry said outside court that there is no "plan or suitable surety" at this time and so he didn't oppose the prosecution's bid to keep his client in custody.

He faces attempted murder charges after a couple was stabbed in front of their home last week.

He was on bail at the time related to an assault charge in May.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/michele_mandel/2010/11/10/16070411.html

Monday, November 8, 2010

Makhniashvili held over in stabbing

SHARON KO/TOWN CRIER
DEFENCE LAWYER Calvin Barry spoke to reporters after Vakhtang Makhniashvili's Nov. 5 court appearance.

Suspect will remain in jail until his next court appearance
By Sharon Ko
November 5, 2010

Vakhtang Makhniashvili, who was arrested and charged in conjunction with a double stabbing on Nov. 4, has been held over pending a Nov. 10 hearing.

According to police David, 45, and Delores Langer, 51, were stabbed in front of their home near Greenwood Avenue and Queen Street East. Both victims sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries. Police say that David was stabbed in the abdomen and required surgery while Delores was slashed on the arm.

As of 5 p.m. on Nov. 5 Delores had been released from hospital, while David is still recovering from surgery.

Defence lawyer Calvin Barry said that he had no idea about what might have led to Makhniashvili allegedly attacking the couple.

"Police are still investigating and trying to get a copy of the 911 call," he told reporters after the Nov. 5 hearing. "I want to get some more information from the detectives at 55 Division and try to assess where we're at, what exactly happened and how it happened.

"It looked like it happened very quickly."

Makhniashvili is the father of missing teen Mariam Makhniashvili and is also facing charges related to another stabbing in May. The victims of the most recent attack had been the people who had acted as Makhniashvili's surety in the wake of the previous incident.

In an interview with the Town Crier in August Makhniashvili said that he felt uncomfortable with the Langers who he says were private investigators and required him to stay with them in their home longer than he had initially expected.

"Maybe for security purposes," Makhniashvili said during the interview. "But for whatever reason it was unexpected for me. Nobody told me about this."

The family was also recently in the news when their son George went missing for several hours on Nov. 1.

“It caused a lot of stress (for the family)," said Barry about George's disappearance. "It’s been a pretty tough week for them and every day is just stressful because of his daughter missing.”

Barry said his client is doing well at the moment. He plans to speak with Makhniashvili and will be updating his wife Lela Tabidze on his situation.

“She’s a pretty strong woman," he said. "She obviously is upset with what happened in the last 24 hours."

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5500, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637), or Leave A Tip on Facebook.


– With files from Joshua Freeman


http://www.mytowncrier.ca/makhniashvili-held-over-in-stabbing.html


Missing teen’s father in court on stabbing charges


Published On Fri Nov 5 2010

Lela Tabidze, wife of Vakhtang Makhniashvili, leaves court with her husband's lawyer, Calvin Barry, after her husband appeared in court to face numerous charges.
TANNIS TOOHEY/TORONTO STAR

Curtis Rush
Staff Reporter

The father of missing teen Mariam Makhniashvili appeared briefly in court Friday to answer attempted murder and aggravated assault charges stemming from a double stabbing Thursday.

Clad in orange jumpsuit and in handcuffs, Vakhtang Makhniashvili entered the prisoner’s box bearing what seemed to be a large round welt on his left cheek but otherwise appeared in good condition.

Makhniashvili surrendered to police on Thursday, minutes after David Langer, 54, and his wife, Delores, 51, who had posted bond for Makhniashvili in a previous stabbing case, were themselves stabbed at their home on Greenwood Ave., near Queen St. E.

Langer suffered non-life-threatening injuries to his abdomen and his wife was stabbed in the arm.

Makhniashvili has also been charged with breaching bail.

When he was ushered into court, Makhniashvili glanced around for his wife, Lela Tabidze. She never betrayed any emotion.

Tabidze and her husband exchanged a nod when he settled into the prisoner’s box, and they nodded quickly to each other after the proceedings were over.

Makhniashvili did not speak to the judge, only conferring with his lawyer, Calvin Barry.

His case was put over until Nov. 10. The judge ordered a publication ban on evidence given in court.

Asked about the stabbing, Barry told reporters that “it’s a bizarre set of circumstances but it’s still in the embryonic stage, so I can’t comment.”

In court, Barry asked for Makhniashvili, 50, to be held in protective custody because of fears he could be assaulted by others at the Toronto West Detention Centre.

Makhniashvili was being treated by a forensic psychiatrist and was on unspecified medication before the alleged attack, said Barry.

“A person at the best times would be under a lot of stress from the fact that the daughter has been missing so long,” he told reporters. “That alone is what triggered a lot of distress and psychiatric issues.”

Their daughter had disappeared without a trace Sept. 14, 2009, on her way to Forest Hill Collegiate. Her knapsack was found later.

Their son, George, 17, had vanished from their home earlier this week and returned the next day.

“She’s a strong woman. She’s holding up well,” Barry said of Tabidze.

The son’s disappearance had weighed heavily on the parents, Barry said.

“It caused a lot of stress. It’s like a lot of things: How many smacks can you take in a short period of time?”

Although they had never met Makhniashvili, the Langers had posted $50,000 bail for Vakhtang after he had allegedly stabbed a neighbour in May after an argument over excessive noise.

It was later learned that they were private investigators who had taken a special interest in Mariam’s disappearance.

When Makhniashvili became suspicious of their motives, the couple pulled their bail and Tabidze became his surety.

http://www.thestar.com/news/mariam/article/886460--missing-teen-s-father-in-court-on-stabbing-charges

Vakhtang Makhniashvili to remain in police custody

Lela Tabidze, wife of Vakhtang Makhniashvili, is escorted out of a downtown Toronto courthouse by lawyer Calvin Barry on Friday November 5, 2010


A disheveled, unshaven Vakhtang Makhniashvili made a brief appearance in court on Friday morning, but will remain behind bars for the foreseeable future.

The father of missing Mariam Makhniashvili, who was last seen in September of 2009, faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and failure to comply with a recognizance order, following an alleged attack on a couple in Toronto’s east end on Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Makhniashvili will return to court for a bail hearing on Wednesday, but for now he is being held in police custody at the Toronto West Detention Centre’s medical wing.

He walked into the Toronto courtroom on Friday, hunched over in an orange jumpsuit and looking nervous. He only spoke to his legal counsel, Calvin Barry, and did not talk to the judge directly.
His wife, Lela Tabidze, appeared in court. The two exchanged glances during the hearing and she took notes in a blue notebook. Their son, Giorgi, did not attend the hearing.

After the brief hearing, Mr. Barry escorted Ms. Tabidze out of the courthouse on College Street, dodging reporters and photographers. Pale and looking exhausted, she got into a taxi without saying a word.

Mr. Barry said his client is fully in charge of his faculties.

“He fully knows what’s going on,” he said. “I can’t comment on what set him off.”

Mr. Makhniashvili has endured a massive amount of stress surrounding the disappearance of his daughter and his son’s disappearance for several hours earlier this week, said Mr. Barry. He confirmed that his client was on medication and being evaluated by a forensic psychiatrist before Thursday’s attack.

“This has been very hard for them,” he said. “How many smacks can a guy take in a short period of time?”

He could not go into specific details about his client’s mental state, but noted that he seemed “perfectly fine” when they spoke.

Ms. Tabidze was supportive of her husband, said Mr. Barry. “She’s a strong woman. She’s holding up well.”

Mr. Makhniashvili turned himself in to police Thursday afternoon, after allegedly stabbing a couple at their east-end Toronto residence.

David Langer, 54, was stabbed in the stomach and taken for surgery. His wife, Delores Langer, 51, was slashed in the arm. They are both recovering at St. Michael’s Hospital.

The Langers had originally freed Mr. Makhniashvili on a $50,000 bail in May, after another stabbing charge.

National Post


http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/05/vakhtang-makhniashvili-to-remain-in-police-custody/

Calvin Barry - Maclean's December 3, 2001


Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Thursday, July 29, 2010

CALVIN BARRY

Former Galea assistant admits guilt in drug case

Adrian Humphreys, National Post · Friday, Jun. 25, 2010

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Canadian assistant to prominent Toronto sports doctor Anthony Galea -- who is charged in the United States with steroid distribution and suspected of treating dozens of professional athletes -- tearfully admitted in court she brought black market performance enhancing drugs and equipment across the border for her boss.

"It was a lapse of judgment on my part. He was my employer," Mary Anne Catalano, 32, of Toronto, said before breaking down, revealing her feelings of betrayal.

"He was someone I've known since I was 15 years old," she said, wiping away tears. "I didn't think he would put me in this position."

Catalano has been co-operating with authorities as they investigate Galea, who they say treated athletes from Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the Professional Golfers' Association at his office in Toronto and during house calls in the United States. Yesterday's proceedings in a federal court did not reveal any of his famous clients.

Rodney Personius, Catalano's attorney, said she would not be commenting publicly "because the investigation is ongoing and the government has made it clear it doesn't want the names disclosed."

Catalano is talking to government officials, however, and her co-operation will earn her a steep reduction in her punishment for lying to U.S. border guards.

On Sept. 14, 2009, Catalano pulled her car up to a customs booth on the American side of the Peace Bridge at Buffalo. She said she was going to meet her boss at a medical conference in Washington, D.C.

She explained that the bag of medical supplies, which included vials of human growth hormone and Actovegin, a centrifuge and syringes, was for display at the conference.

Her ruse soon evaporated, however, and she told the border agents she was really meeting Galea to treat a professional athlete. She said she packed the bag following a checklist he gave her.

Catalano had brought such equipment across the border more than 20 times before and met pro athletes in their homes or hotel rooms with Galea for treatment. She had also brought supplies back to Toronto from Germany for Galea, court heard.

Sometimes the athletes came to his Toronto office for treatment but when he travelled to meet them, the athlete paid for their travel and arranged their hotel accommodations, court heard. He provided platelet-rich plasma therapy, where the client's blood is extracted, put through a centrifuge to separate the plasma and injected into a knee to accelerate healing, and "cocktail" injections.

Computer authorities found more than $200,000 in invoices for Galea's services on Catalano's computer.

Despite Galea's international reputation -- his claimed client list that includes Tiger Woods, Donovan Bailey and Alex Rodriguez, although there is no indication he provided them banned substances -- he is not licensed to provide medical services in the United States.

Catalano's co-operation and plea to lying to border guards means she will likely avoid serving jail time when she is sentenced in October.

She told Judge Richard Arcara that she now works as an office manager of a high-performance sports medicine firm that is not related to Galea.

She has not spoken to Galea since her arrest, said her Canadian lawyer, Calvin Barry.

ahumphreys@nationalpost.com


http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/Former+Galea+assistant+admits+guilt+drug+case/3198879/story.html

Calvin Barry, Toronto Lawyer


Monday, June 28, 2010

Calvin Barry, Lawyer- Former Galea assistant accepts plea deal


Mary Anne Catalano, right, an assistant of assistant of Canadian Dr. Anthony Galea, and attorney Calvin Barry enter federal court in Buffalo, N.Y, on Thursday, June 24, 2010. Catalano, of Canada, accepted a plea deal on Thursday in which prosecutors agreed to drop a smuggling charge in exchange for her plea to the less serious count and her cooperation with investigators. Catalano was charged in September after U.S. border agents questioned her about vials of drugs, including human growth hormone, in her car. AP

Hayley Mick, Buffalo, N.Y.
From Friday's Globe and Mail
Published on Thursday, Jun. 24, 2010 7:30PM EDT



.U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara had one question for Mary Anne Catalano.

“Why did you do this?” he asked.

“It’s just...” Catalano began, struggling to speak. Then she began to cry.

“It was a lapse of judgment on my part,” she said, wiping away tears that streamed under her glasses. “But he was my employer, and someone I’d known since I was 15 years old. So, in the end, I didn’t think he would put me in this position.”

In pearls and a black pant suit, Catalano cut a tiny figure in the cavernous U.S. federal court room where she stood before a judge on Thursday. But it became clear she is prepared to play a major role in a drug scandal that could further rock professional sports, by co-operating with investigators and ultimately testifying against her former employer, Dr. Anthony Galea.

With the plea bargain accepted in Buffalo, prosecutors dropped a smuggling charge against Catalano in exchange for her plea to the less serious count of lying to federal agents about why she was trying to bring human growth hormone and other banned substances into the United States.

Galea faces several serious drug and smuggling-related charges in the United States, as well as separate charges in Canada. Galea was allegedly treating athletes, including Tiger Woods, without a licence to practise in the U.S.

On Thursday, the court heard that Catalano had been helping Galea with his medical visits to the U.S. for at least two years before she was stopped trying to enter into Buffalo on Sept. 14, 2009.

She lied to customs officers at first, the court heard, by saying she was on her way to a medical conference. She said the centrifuge, syringes and drugs that she was carrying were meant for display purposes only. But several hours later, she would be giving a very different account.

The court heard that the trip was just one of many trips that Catalano, a certified athletic therapist born and raised in Toronto, and Galea made to treat professional athletes in the U.S., beginning in 2007. During those visits, athletes received two treatments in particular. One was a blood spinning technique, known as PRP. The other was injections of substances into injured areas including Actovegin, a derivative of calf’s blood that is banned for use on humans in the U.S., and a cocktail of medical substances including Nutropin, a type of human growth hormone.

The athletes who allegedly received treatments were not identified in court Thursday. Outside the courtroom, Catalano’s lawyer, Rodney Personius, refused to discuss the Galea case and said Catalano would not be speaking publicly.

The Buffalo court heard that the visits happened in hotel rooms and athletes’ homes. The billing from a period of about two years totalled about $200,000. On one occasion, Catalano travelled to Germany to pick up Actovegin for Galea.

During all those visits, Catalano knew that he wasn’t licensed to practise in the United States. She also agreed to carry his medical supplies across the border on multiple occasions, because Galea had previously had trouble with border agents at Pearson Airport in Toronto.

Since her arrest, Catalano, who is single, has quit her job at Galea’s clinic in Etobicoke, Ont., and now works as an office manager at another high performance sports clinic in the Toronto area. Her Canadian lawyer, Calvin Barry, said she has had no contact with her former employer.

Personius said Catalano has travelled to Buffalo on at least four occasions since her arrest to work with investigators probing the activities of Galea.

Because of her co-operation with authorities, her maximum sentence of 18 to 24 months in prison, plus a $4,000 fine, could be reduced to no time in prison. Her sentencing is scheduled for October.

Several investigators probing the Galea case sat in the Buffalo courtroom yesterday. Afterward, one of them gave Catalano a hug.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/former-galea-assistant-accepts-plea-deal/article1617036/#

Friday, June 25, 2010

CALVIN BARRY

Former Galea assistant admits guilt in drug case
Brought black market drugs across border for boss, court told
By Adrian Humphreys, National PostJune 25, 2010 6:05 AM


Mary Anne Catalano, assistant to the celebrity sports doctor Anthony Galea, watches on as her lawyers, Rodney Personius, left, and Calvin Barry meet reporters at her court appearance in Buffalo, NY. She pleaded guilty to lying when smuggling banned performance enhancing drugs across the Canada-U.S. border.
Photograph by: Adrian Humphreys, National Post

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Canadian assistant to prominent Toronto sports doctor Anthony Galea -- who is charged in the United States with steroid distribution and suspected of treating dozens of professional athletes -- tearfully admitted in court she brought black market performance enhancing drugs and equipment across the border for her boss.

"It was a lapse of judgment on my part. He was my employer," Mary Anne Catalano, 32, of Toronto, said before breaking down, revealing her feelings of betrayal.

"He was someone I've known since I was 15 years old," she said, wiping away tears. "I didn't think he would put me in this position."

Catalano has been co-operating with authorities as they investigate Galea, who they say treated athletes from Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the Professional Golfers' Association at his office in Toronto and during house calls in the United States. Yesterday's proceedings in a federal court did not reveal any of his famous clients.

Rodney Personius, Catalano's attorney, said she would not be commenting publicly "because the investigation is ongoing and the government has made it clear it doesn't want the names disclosed."

Catalano is talking to government officials, however, and her co-operation will earn her a steep reduction in her punishment for lying to U.S. border guards.

On Sept. 14, 2009, Catalano pulled her car up to a customs booth on the American side of the Peace Bridge at Buffalo. She said she was going to meet her boss at a medical conference in Washington, D.C.

She explained that the bag of medical supplies, which included vials of human growth hormone and Actovegin, a centrifuge and syringes, was for display at the conference.

Her ruse soon evaporated, however, and she told the border agents she was really meeting Galea to treat a professional athlete. She said she packed the bag following a checklist he gave her.

Catalano had brought such equipment across the border more than 20 times before and met pro athletes in their homes or hotel rooms with Galea for treatment. She had also brought supplies back to Toronto from Germany for Galea, court heard.

Sometimes the athletes came to his Toronto office for treatment but when he travelled to meet them, the athlete paid for their travel and arranged their hotel accommodations, court heard. He provided platelet-rich plasma therapy, where the client's blood is extracted, put through a centrifuge to separate the plasma and injected into a knee to accelerate healing, and "cocktail" injections.

Computer authorities found more than $200,000 in invoices for Galea's services on Catalano's computer.

Despite Galea's international reputation -- his claimed client list that includes Tiger Woods, Donovan Bailey and Alex Rodriguez, although there is no indication he provided them banned substances -- he is not licensed to provide medical services in the United States.

Catalano's co-operation and plea to lying to border guards means she will likely avoid serving jail time when she is sentenced in October.

She told Judge Richard Arcara that she now works as an office manager of a high-performance sports medicine firm that is not related to Galea.

She has not spoken to Galea since her arrest, said her Canadian lawyer, Calvin Barry.

ahumphreys@nationalpost.com

© Copyright (c) North Shore News

http://www.vancouversun.com/story_print.html?id=3200239&sponsor=

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Calvin Barry, Defence Attorney

Feds want more time to probe assistant to Tiger Woods doc Tony Galea, MaryAnne Catalano

By Nathaniel Vinton
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Tuesday, January 12th 2010, 7:42 PM

A federal prosecutor in Buffalo has asked a judge for two more months to investigate the case of MaryAnne Catalano, a former assistant to Tony Galea, the controversial Canadian doctor who treated Tiger Woods and many other pro athletes.

On Monday, assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Campana submitted a sealed affidavit in the federal court in the Western District of New York, seeking an extended deadline in the case involving Catalano, who was arrested on smuggling charges on Sept. 14.

Border agents at the U.S.-Canada border stopped Catalano that day, searched her car, and found human growth hormone, syringes and medical equipment she said belonged to Galea. The next month, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided Galea's clinic and later charged him with four drug crimes. The charges involve Galea's supply of HGH, which is banned in sports, and Actovegin, a derivative of calf's blood that is not approved for use in Canada.

Catalano, a former kinesiology student at the University of Waterloo, was expecting to meet with federal agents and prosecutors in Buffalo this week, but that meeting is off said Calvin Barry, her attorney in Toronto.

“She has found new employment, and she is continuing to cooperate with the authorities,” Barry told the Daily News.

Barry said he believes law enforcement officers on both sides of the border are working together on parallel investigations. He said he did not know of any grand jury investigations into Catalano or Galea.

Brian Greenspan, Galea's attorney, has strenuously denied his client was involved in providing performance-enhancing substances to athletes.

A criminal complaint filed in September by a special agent of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement says Catalano told agents she knew administering the medications she carried was illegal in the United States, and that her employer told her that if she was questioned about the purpose of her trip, "she should say that they were coming to the United States for a conference with other medical professionals and that none of the equipment she was bringing into the United States was for treating patients."

Galea is known to have treated Woods with platelet-rich plasma therapy, a technique that is not illegal, although the treatments took place in Florida, where Galea has never been licensed to practice medicine. Florida's state's Department of Health is investigating reports on Galea.

On Tuesday, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study concluding that the technique – which typically involves injecting a patient's own plasma into the vicinity of an inflamed tendon – is not an effective method of increasing mobility or reducing pain.



Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2010/01/12/2010-01-12_feds_want_more_time_to_probe_tiger_doc.html#ixzz0qSj8Cmlh

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Calvin Barry, Toronto Criminal Lawyer Defends Galea's Assistant

Prescription for trouble

How an A-list doctor, whose patients include Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez, wound up on the wrong side of the law

by Jonathon Gatehouse on Wednesday, June 2, 2010 2:40pm -

The price sounds steep—$3,500, plus expenses, for a house call—but for the kind of people seeking Dr. Anthony Galea’s help, it’s chump change. New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez used his services, as did his on-again-off-again girlfriend Madonna, and Swedish soccer star and Calvin Klein underwear model Freddie Ljungberg, per a well-placed source. Tiger Woods flew him to Florida five or six times—business class, naturally. According to an affidavit filed in court when the RCMP searched Galea’s offices in mid-October, seeking evidence of performance-enhancing drugs, the 51-year-old doctor treated 23 pro-athletes in eight different American cities over a nine-week period last summer. During the last decade, hundreds more from the NFL, NHL, CFL, NBA, major league baseball, track and field, and beyond, have beaten a path to his unassuming clinic, now located near Pearson International Airport, seeking to ease their aches and injuries. And even after Tony Galea’s name has been dragged through the mud for months, fingered as the latest sports “Dr. Feelgood,” the calls still keep coming. When David Beckham tore his Achilles tendon in March, shattering his World Cup dream, he reached out to Galea, looking for a miracle. The doctor turned him away.

On May 18, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Buffalo, N.Y., filed five charges against Galea, including smuggling, distributing human growth hormone (HGH), and introducing an unapproved drug—the calves’ blood extract Actovegin—to interstate commerce. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to 38 years in prison, and $1.25 million in fines. It was simply the latest twist in a saga that has sent the Justice Department and the FBI sniffing around some of the biggest names in sport, seeking evidence of cheating. And it promises to get messier still.

Last Sept. 14, Mary Anne Catalano, then Galea’s executive assistant, was pulled over as she entered the U.S. at the Peace Bridge border crossing near Niagara Falls. In the car, a 2009 Nissan Rogue registered to one of Galea’s companies, officers found an ultrasound computer, a centrifuge, and a medical bag stuffed with 111 syringes, 20 vials, and 76 ampoules of various prescription and homeopathic drugs. Within the bag was one partially used bottle of HGH. The 32-year-old initially told investigators that the supplies were for a medical conference she was flying on to in Washington, but, under questioning, quickly recanted the story. The truth, Catalano said, was she was bringing the drugs across the border at Galea’s behest—the doctor, who has no licence to practice south of the border, had been stopped by U.S. Customs officers at Pearson the February before and feared his file was “flagged.” The real purpose of the trip to Washington, she said, was to treat a member of the NFL’s Redskins.

The border agents seized and searched Catalano’s laptop, BlackBerry and an external hard drive. With her assistance—she has been classified as a “co-operating witness”—they traced Galea’s movements around the U.S. since the summer of 2007, pulling calendars, treatment notes and invoices. The RCMP affidavit, still sealed in Canada, but leaked to the American sports channel ESPN, says Catalano identified seven different pro athletes to whom Galea had administered HGH. The charges filed in Buffalo only make specific reference to one case of growth-hormone use, alleging the doctor provided the drug to a retired NFL player in connection with “quality of life issues.”

Catalano’s Toronto lawyer Calvin Barry won’t discuss what his client has told the FBI. (She’s due back in a Buffalo court June 11, when she hopes the charges against her will be dropped.) But Barry isn’t exactly shying away from suggestions that there is more— much more—to come. He’s fielded calls from investigators from all the major sports leagues, and muses about the possibility of her testifying at U.S. Congressional hearings. “She met a bundle of celebrities. It was an interesting experience for her, a little girl from Etobicoke,” he says.

In the press, Galea is being portrayed as the next Victor Conte, the San Francisco lab owner whose designer steroids fuelled home-run records and Olympic medallists. The charges and the raid on his clinic have brought unwelcome publicity for his patients, including Canadian figure skater Patrick Chan, who sought treatment for an ankle injury in the run-up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Much has been made about the doctor’s “unorthodox” treatments, including the use of platelet rich plasma (PRP), where the patient’s blood is concentrated through spinning, then reinjected into the injury area to help speed healing. For some, it’s uncomfortably cutting edge: the World Anti-Doping Authority (WADA) barely tolerates it because of its potential for abuse, demanding athletes seek a therapeutic exemption.

But that forward-thinking reputation is precisely why Galea attracted so many big-name clients, and such renown among his fellow sports physicians. “Dr. Galea has never engaged in the performance enhancement of any athlete. He’s a healer,” says Brian Greenspan, his Canadian defence counsel. To prove the point he flips through a thick binder of testimonials, many collected as Galea started to seek a U.S. work visa on the basis of “extraordinary ability,” and a Colorado medical licence in the spring and summer of 2009. Bill Knowles, a Vermont sports trainer, wrote that he had referred elite athletes—including Tiger Woods—to the Toronto physician for the past six years. “Tiger has been most impressed and pleased with his level of expertise.” Marc J. Philippon, the Colorado surgeon who operated on A-Rod’s hip last spring, wrote: “Dr. Galea is one of the top one to two per cent of individuals throughout the world currently working within the field of PRP injections in athletes.” The Steadman Hawkins Clinic in Denver had offered Galea a position. One of the principals, Theodore Schlelgel, team physician for both the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies, wrote that he would serve as Galea’s sponsor.


http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/06/02/prescription-for-trouble/

Monday, June 7, 2010

CALVIN BARRY

Monday, June 7, 2010
News Columnists / Joe Warmington

Holy puck! A sacred piece of rubber

By JOE WARMINGTON, Toronto Sun

Last Updated: May 29, 2010 10:28am

Who would have thought a black piece of rubber could be so coveted?

However this is not just any piece of rubber. For Canadian hockey fans this is akin to the Holy Grail.

But some 38 years after he picked it up off the ice after Game 8 in Moscow and stuck it into his glove, legendary Team Canada defenceman Pat “Whitey” Stapleton says the time is coming soon when a decision will have to be made just what to do with “The Puck.”

“We better figure something out before we all disappear,” teased 70-year-old Stapleton Friday from his Strathroy home of the disc Paul Henderson slipped by Vladislav Tretriak to win the 1972 Summit Series. “If you have any ideas about what to do with it, let me know.”

How about the Hockey Hall of Fame? He says he offered it to them in 1972.

“There was not much interest and they were talking about authenticity so I thought I’d just hang on to it for a while,” he said with a chuckle.

That has now turned into decades. “I was thinking maybe my grandkids should shoot it into a snowbank,” he says laughing.

Stapleton is just kidding. He’s always kidding. The truth is he can’t really decide what to do with it. “It’s a team puck actually,” he said. “I think maybe the team should decide.”

So he figures he will hang onto it until they all get together for the 40th anniversary in 2012.

“Maybe we will sort it out then but maybe we can hang on to the 50th,” he said once again laughing.

The puck pursuit continues.

Speaking on coveted items the Number 19, Team Canada sweater worn to score that winning goal now has a bid of $131,138 on the Classic Auctions website.

Henderson is hoping for a benefactor with loads of cash to come along and buy it and give it to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame of which he is a member.

“Paul was a Maple Leaf when he scored the historic goals for Team Canada. It would be a wonderful gesture if MLSE secured the jersey and return it to him,” suggests reader Duncan Mackenzie.

Maybe it could go to the new CSHF in Calgary for a while, then to the Hockey Hall of Fame and even one day on display at the Air Canada Centre?

Still no new bids on Teeder Kennedy’s teeth and $550 will get you his replacement 1945 Stanley Cup ring so far. Wonder what The Puck would be worth?

So many ask ‘why is Paul Henderson not in the Hockey Hall of Fame?’

“Tretiak is and he let in six goals in the biggest game of his life,” said Mackenzie.

It is amazing the guy who let in the goal is in and the guy who scored it isn’t.

Critics say Henderson should not be in for one game but the truth is he scored the winning goal in the final three games, seven in that series and had 388 professional goals and 399 assists, which certainly is in the same range as other honoured and deserving members like Clark Gillies, Bob Pulford and even Bob Gainey.

I feel he was left out because of the resentment of a few atheists on the selection committee of his strong Christian faith which means if you have faith he will one day get in there. Battling cancer Paul is a class man all the way and a role model — with or without the Hall’s honour.


Members of the Peterborough Mad Dogs have done something no member of the Toronto Maple Leafs have done in 43 years — got in a picture with the Stanley Cup.

Actually members of the Peterborough Minor Hockey Association junior tyke team, ages six and seven, had a special party at the home of co-coach Paul Johnston Friday with The Cup and six-time winner and NHL legend Mark Messier as the winners of the Team Up To Bring Home The Cup contest sponsored by Pepsi-QTG and TSN.

Pictured with Messier are co-coaches Johnston and Matt Hubble and players Ashley McLaughlin, Robyn and Scott Broersma, Damian Cheung, Liam Goodfellow, Logan Hannah, Jamie Hubble, Matthew Johnston, Noah McDonald, Emmitt Shannon, Logan Menard, Emmerson Jacobs, Patrick Tompkins and Cole Hubble.

“What a class act Mark was with the kids,” said Paul.


I am picking the Philadelphia Flyers to win the cup. The reason? I am predicting Petrolia’s own Michael Leighton to stand on his head. The goalie was in a Scrawler column April 26, 2008 for doing just that — then with the AHL Albany River Rats when he had 101 shots fired at him in almost eight periods of playoff hockey. He may have to do that again against the Hawks. I hope he does.


Congrats to the big-hearted Toronto Police Association who raised $7,000 for Ronald McDonald House at its annual golf tournament at beautiful Angus Glen this week. Everybody was there. Famous defence counsels Calvin Barry, Joe Markson, Tim Danson and coppers like Mike Abbott, Rick Perry, Dan Nealon and Hugh Ferguson and of course TPA president Mike McCormack.

I was in a foursome with CTV’s Ken Shaw, musician Marty Anderson and businessman Ian Overs and together we shot -4, just five shots off one of those big TVs. It was a blast, for a good cause and I love Shaw’s story about the time he struck a greens-keeper in the head with a ball. “I rushed down to see if he was okay,” said Ken. “I said what’s your name? The kid looked up and said ‘my name is John.’ Well John, my name is Gord Martineau and help is on the way.”

Enjoy your weekend, everybody. Scrawler out!

joe.warmington@sunmedia.ca

http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2010/05/29/14183661.html

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Calvin Barry- Lawyer for Victim in Break-and Enter

Fed Up Victim Offers Own Reward For Alleged Thief's Capture
2008/10/17 CityNews.ca Staff

Police believe one man is responsible for a recent string of break ins, and now one of the alleged culprit's victims is stepping up with an offer of $5,000 to assure he's brought to justice.

The suspect was caught on tape sneaking into Harold Perry's Forest Hill home shortly before about $25,000 worth of jewellery disappeared.

"He went in through the front door and went directly upstairs, into the room. First thing he does, starts opening up drawers, taking jewellery, putting it in his pocket," Perry told CityNews.

"But the only thing valuable to me really was my grandfather's watch. He got it from working in the grain elevators up in Thunder Bay and Fort William and Port Arthur , you know, 100 years ago. So no value to anybody but to me."

Perry has offered up 5-grand in reward money for anyone who helps police make an arrest.

He thinks his home was targeted because he had some workers at the residence at the time, and he believes the suspected crook could see them going back and forth between their van and the house, and figured he could slip in without raising too much suspicion.

But what he didn't realize was that the home's front intercom and doorbell is also a security camera.

Detectives quickly identified the suspect as somebody they were already looking for. Thirty-one-year-old Jason Allen Losier is wanted for assault, threatening death, break and enter and theft.

"He has been active and at the same time we've been actively pursuing him over the last few months, and it seems that we're just a couple of steps behind," admits Det. Sgt. Dan Nealon.

"We're asking for the public to give us a call. I suggest do not approach this man. He is considered armed, so call 911. Or at the same time if you wish to remain anonymous you can always use Crime Stoppers (at (416) 222-TIPS.")

As for Perry, he admits that the watch has more sentimental value than monetary worth. But he wants his memento back - and to see justice done.

"Police said to me: Mr. Perry, the watch was only worth $500.

"I said 'not now. Now it's worth $5,000.'"


http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/5825--fed-up-victim-offers-own-reward-for-alleged-thief-s-capture

Monday, April 12, 2010

Calvin Barry- Walk Now For Autism

Join me in my efforts to support Walk Now for Autism!

Once again - we are participating in the Walk Now for Autism (2010) to help find a cure for Autism. Early intervention is key here and with research dollars and awareness each child/adult with ASD can reach goals that would otherwise not be ascertainable.

TEAM CJ would like to thank all of those who so generously supported us last year with donations. Thanks to your generosity, TEAM CJ was ranked second of the Fundraising Teams, earning a Platinum Award and Raising over $25,000.00. With your generous support again this year, we are confident that TEAM CJ will climb up to the Top Team in Ontario for 2010.

My son, Calvin Justin (CJ) Barry, was diagnosed in August 2007 with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). He is currently 5 years old and a wonderfully smart, bright little angel with potential beyond imagination. He is currently attending a successful year in JK, and in September 2010 will enter SK at Sacred Heart School. In addition, he is currently reading at a Grade 3 (9 year old) level. CJ’s ASD means that with proper treatments he can remain high functioning with continued therapies. Our multi-disciplinary approach to his ASD has resulted in his continued success and we have his many medical/non-medical practitioners and supporters to thank for this.

Autism prevalence figures are growing. WE NEED ANSWERS!!! 1 in 110 children are diagnosed with this devastating disorder. 1 in 70 boys. It is the fastest growing developmental disability. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than, cancer, diabetes, Downs Syndrome and AIDS combined.

Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of Autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial as every 20 minutes a child is diagnosed with Autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with Autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.

Walk Now for Autism (2010) is YOUR chance to make a difference in the fight against Autism by raising money for Autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my fight as I help Team CJ raise $25,000.00 to help fund essential research. I will be walking from Nathan Philips Square (Toronto) at 9:00am on Sunday, June 20, 2010 and would like you to support those affected by Autism. You can donate to Walk Now for Autism and join my team online through my web page at http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/ontario/calvinbarry

Donations can also be mailed Cheques are payable to Autism Speaks Canada. My team name is TEAM CJ; please note this on your cheque and the donation form. Keep in mind that every dollar to this great cause counts and that any amount you choose to donate will help us reach our goal.

Autism Speaks Canada is a registered charity #869420208 RR0001. All donations $20 and over will be issued a charitable tax receipt within 6 weeks of Walk Date. MATCHING GIFT PROGRAM: Many companies provide their employees with matching gifts. Please consult your employer on its matching gift guidelines and attach matching gift forms accordingly as found on the web page.

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the thousands of Canadians living with Autism today. On behalf of CJ and I, thank you for your generous donation to Walk Now for Autism and for supporting us on our journey.

Yours truly,
Calvin and CJ

http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=335406&lis=1&kntae335406=7E9CB407D4C44CE5BD3DBD49F749FE36&supId=278740516

Click link to donate now!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Calvin Barry, Toronto Lawyer

Wednesday, April 7, 2010
News Columnists / Joe Warmington
Tiger's future may hinge on Toronto ties
By JOE WARMINGTON, QMI Agency

Last Updated: April 6, 2010 10:01am

The most important woman in the Tiger Woods story may turn out to be, not his wife or any of his mistresses, but a former medical assistant from Etobicoke.

That’s because, far away from the lights and cameras of an Augusta National news conference Monday, it’s Mary Anne Catalano who may know the true story on whether Tiger is not just a cheater in the bedroom but also cheating to be better on the golf course.

So far she is not talking publicly.

But the 33-year-old Catalano — who was charged with smuggling medical supplies across the border at Buffalo on Sept. 14 — is talking with U.S. federal authorities about all that she knows regarding the operation of the Institute of Sports Medicine Health and Wellness Centre on Brown’s Line. Her duties have included going on many trips with Anthony Galea to visit athletes south of the border.

At least one of the trips was to Tiger Woods’ Florida home.

There has been no allegation that Woods has taken performance-enhancing drugs, but Monday, for the first time, the golfer acknowledged that Galea — who is charged with selling an unapproved drug and conspiracy to import an unapproved drug (Actovegin) — did visit him. “He did come to my house,” Tiger said of Galea, adding “he never gave me HGH (human growth hormone) or any PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs).”

Saying “I have never taken any of those” or any other “illegal drug,” Woods said “I had PRP (platelet rich plasma) treatment.”

None of the allegations against Galea have been proven in court and his lawyer, Brian Greenspan, has said his client is innocent.

Meanwhile Catalano’s Toronto lawyer, Calvin Barry, who also stresses her innocence, said his client’s charges of trying to smuggle into the U.S. “20 vials, 101 syringes and 76 ampoules, of unknown misbranded drugs, including Nutropin, a medical centrifuge and an ultrasound computer” had been put over for three months.

He said she is free on a $10,000 bond and is co-operating with U.S. authorities.

“She has already gone down twice and in the future it is quite likely I will accompany her to Buffalo for further questioning,” he said. “My client has co-operated fully and whatever information she has to help investigators she will be forthright.”

I was in the RCGA offices at Glen Abbey on Monday watching Woods’ impressive performance at Augusta, but, after thinking about it, it occurred to me that it’s this federal investigation, and not the infidelity, that will decide Woods’ future in golf.

Out at the Abbey, where the crew is putting the final touches on the very 18th hole where Woods made his historic bunker shot over the water to win the 2000 Canadian Open, there is hope that the off-course circus will soon be over and Tiger can get back to golf.

As a golf fan it would be nice. But first, fresh off reports that New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez had been summoned by investigators in the Galea case, Woods has one more area of intrigue to clear up.

He himself acknowledged this, telling reporters “they contacted my agent and will get full co-operation whenever they need me, but right now they haven’t asked for my time.”

And interesting that it’s a Toronto woman who may hold the key to determine if they ever do.

joe.warmington@sunmedia.ca


http://www.torontosun.com/news/columnists/joe_warmington/2010/04/05/13475196.html

Monday, March 29, 2010

Calvin Barry

Alex Rodriguez Never in Buffalo For Meeting With Feds
Posted By: Collin Bishop


Calvin Barry
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Yankees Slugger Alex Rodriguez said he never met with federal agents in Buffalo Friday, even though he was initially scheduled to do so.

Rodriguez was scheduled to meet today with federal investigators in Buffalo about his treatment from Canadian physician Dr. Anthony Galea last year. However, no one saw the baseball player in the Western New York area and was later spotted back at training camp in Florida.

According to the Associated Press, when Rodriguez arrived at the Yankees' spring training complex, he did so without giving any indication if he met with federal agents.

The Yankees third basemen later said after batting practice at spring training there was no meeting, and that he and his lawyers are still working with federal authorities on scheduling. Rodriguez said he hopes to cooperate before opening day on April 4.

He also says he will meet with Major League Baseball soon.

U.S. Attorney William Hochul will not comment about the scheduled meeting with the New York Yankees star player.

Hochul told 2 On Your Side, "We don't have any comment on pending investigations and I can't confirm any aspect of that particular inquiry."

Dr. Anthony Galea is the physician at the center of drug investigations in Canada and the U.S. that have sent American federal agents trooping down to spring training to question ball players.

Galea says his treatment of Rodriguez consisted of prescribing anti-inflammatories after the Yankees slugger underwent hip surgery.

The case was blown wide open during an incident in Buffalo last September, when customs agents at the Peace Bridge stopped a Canadian woman who, they said, was illegally transporting human growth hormone and other controlled substances into the United States. The woman was Dr. Galea's assistant. Canadian authorities later charged Dr. Galea with smuggling.

Galea told The Associated Press recently that when athletes are subpoenaed they will have to tell the truth and he will be cleared.

Galea acknowledges taking human growth hormone, and to prescribing it for patients over 40, though he insists he's never given it to athletes.

On Friday, 2 On Your Side visited Toronto to interview the lawyer representing Dr. Galea's former assistant. Attorney Calvin Barry said his client is overwhelmed by the situation, and that she is cooperating with U.S. Federal Investigators in hope that the smuggling charges against her will be dropped.

REPORTER: When your client was cooperating with federal authorities in the United States, did she mention Alex Rodriguez's name? Did it come up at all?

BARRY: I can't comment again because the investigation is ongoing. I can tell you that she waived her Miranda Rights. She was fully cooperative. She turned over a computer. She turned over her cell phone, and they went and spoke to her some time after about certain other emails and other information that went back and forth about various athletes, staff at the clinic in Toronto, and some of the communications she had - work related.

REPORTER: So she told federal investigators what big-name athletes were being treated by Dr Galea?

BARRY: Yeah, names were mentioned because it was all on the computer because it was business computer.

Barry would not reveal which names his client provided to authorities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.


http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=75598&catid=37

Click to view article/video

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Calvin Barry Criminal Lawyer

UsHour.com Article:

Doctor in drug case known for unorthodox methods

TORONTO – He’s treated big-name athletes, Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez among them.

He acknowledges taking human growth hormone, and to prescribing the substance for patients over 40, though he insists he’s never given it to athletes.

Dr. Anthony Galea is the 51-year-old physician at the center of drug investigations in Canada and the U.S. that have sent American federal agents trooping down to spring training to question ball players and have put him under suspicion. Rodriguez is scheduled to talk Friday to investigators in Buffalo, N.Y., about his treatment from Galea last year, which the doctor says consisted of prescribing anti-inflammatories after the Yankees slugger underwent hip surgery.

Even allies see Galea as unorthodox, yet the doctor insists he will be vindicated once Rodriguez and other athletes speak to authorities.

“Watch what happens when their statements come out. You’ll find out,” Galea said during a recent interview with The Associated Press at his clinic in Toronto. “When they get subpoenaed they are going to have to tell the truth.”

This is how Galea became such a high-profile figure, and how his colleagues view him now.

___

Galea came under scrutiny last fall when his assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, was stopped at the U.S.-Canadian border in Buffalo with HGH and an unapproved drug called Actovegin. Galea said the HGH was a minuscule amount for himself.

Soon after, Galea’s Toronto clinic, the Institute of Sports Medicine Health and Wellness Centre, was raided and he was charged with four counts, including one related to the smuggling of HGH into the U.S. The other charges are primarily focused on Actovegin, a controversial drug used in another healing technique.

U.S. federal court documents in Catalano’s case say “20 vials and 76 ampoules of unknown misbranded drugs including Nutropin (Human Growth Hormone -HGH) and foreign homeopathic drugs” were found in a car she was driving, which is registered to Galea.

The doctor counters that Catalano only could have had a tiny, half-empty bottle or one ampoule of HGH because she was bringing the drug across the border for his own use. When the AP visited Galea’s clinic, he took the reporter to the pharmacy attached to his clinic where he had the pharmacist give him what he said was such a bottle — it was smaller than a pinkie finger.

“If you read what the press said in the States about me it was ‘Oh he got caught with ampoules.’ It was that much. It was one half bottle used with the top off,” Galea said. “If you’re going to give it to an elite athlete they would need a minimum of three bottles of this a week for six months.”

Calvin Barry, Catalano’s lawyer, said she is fully cooperating with investigators. Barry and others have described Catalano as integral to Galea’s practice, serving as his executive assistant — though she quit after being arrested. Barry declined to say whether or not she told authorities that Galea provided HGH or any other performance enhancing drug to athletes.

U.S. court documents say Catalano admitted that she knew the items she was bringing into the U.S. were illegal and that she was doing it for her employer. She claimed that, if questioned about the purpose of her trip, she was instructed to say that she and Galea were attending a medical conference and that none of items they were bringing in were for treating patients, the documents say. Galea said “it’s good” that Catalano is cooperating.

___

A father of seven who is married to a woman 22 years his junior, Galea earned his medical degree at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1986, and has been involved in sports medicine for over 20 years.

Kathryn Clarke, a spokeswoman for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, said Galea has been registered as a doctor since 1987 and has not been involved in any disciplinary hearings resulting in a finding of misconduct or any impropriety.

Galea is described as a “leading advocate of drug free sport” on Olympic gold medalist Donovan Bailey’s Tranz4M personal fitness company Web site, where Galea is listed as a medical consultant. Galea was a doctor for Canadian sprinters at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he helped Bailey, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic gold medalist and former 100 meter world-record holder, recover from an Achilles injury.

The bio on Bailey’s Web site also lists Galea as being a doping control officer at a track meet in Hamilton and as a doctor at other track and field events, as well as for freestyle skiing championships and the Canadian Open women’s tennis tournament.

Galea was the team doctor for the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts from 2003 until this past February, when he resigned.

As his career has developed, Galea has earned a reputation for unorthodox therapies — including shock treatment — that supporters regard as innovative and skeptics see as dubious.

Among them is a technique called platelet-rich plasma therapy, whereby a patient’s blood is drawn, run through a centrifuge and injected back into the area of an injury, the idea being that the high concentration of platelets will promote new tissue growth and healing.

Galea has become known among elite athletes for the treatment, which only became widely available in the U.S in recent years. “I’ve been spinning blood for seven, eight years,” Galea said. “They just started a year ago.”

Galea has acknowledged treating Woods at his Florida home with platelet-rich plasma therapy to speed his recovery from knee surgery. That could potentially cause problems for the doctor if he was practicing there without a license. There is no record of Galea being licensed to practice medicine in any U.S. state, according to a database kept by the Federation of State Medical Boards.

As for the charges against him in Canada, Galea will have a hearing in Toronto on Thursday, though neither he nor his lawyer is expected to attend what his lawyer says is an administrative date.

Much of the case against him has to do with Actovegin, which is extracted from calf’s blood and used for healing, but is not approved for sale in Canada because it hasn’t been tested. Canadian doctors can prescribe it if they inform patients about what it is and the risks involved. It is not banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police spokesman Sgt. Mark LaPorte said Galea is accused of administering Actovegin without telling his patients what it was or misleading them in some way.

WADA Science Director Dr. Olivier Rabin said the drug was tested by anti-doping laboratories and no growth hormone or prohibited hormones were found. He said WADA closely monitors Actovegin, since authorities are aware of its use in some sports like cycling, possibly in conjunction with other substances like EPO that are prohibited.

“There is nothing that tells you that it could be used alone as a performance enchancer,” Rabin said.

HGH, meanwhile, is banned by WADA and while Galea says he has never treated an athlete with it, he believes it has benefits — which is why he takes it himself.

The doctor writes in his book “Dr. Galea’s Secrets to Optimal Health” that HGH could be the one hormone that may actually reverse the aging process. The youthful-looking Galea writes that he has an extremely busy practice and travels extensively for his job. He says he’s passionate about cycling, skiing, snowboarding and wants to be able to participate in those activities for years to come — enjoying a full, active and balanced life well into his senior years.

One colleague says Galea is always on the move, and he has never seen the doctor sit still for more than 30 seconds at a time.

____

While authorities in two countries build their cases against Galea, opinion on him among colleagues and associates is divided.

John Paul Catanzaro, a former patient of Galea’s and a personal trainer in Toronto, said he continues to send his clients to Galea despite the charges. Galea performed platelet-rich plasma therapy on Catanzaro’s arm. “I’m a big fan of Tony’s. I’ve seen his work firsthand and I think all of this is unfair. Someone has a bee in their bonnet for him,” Catanzaro said. “He is definitely a healer.”

Catanzaro also said he’s never known Galea to prescribe HGH to an athlete — though he could see Galea prescribing it if it meant an athlete could come back from an injury sooner.

“If the situation warrants I’m sure he would prescribe it in that situation,” said Catanzaro, who describes Galea’s intent as pure and not malicious.

“They are making him out to be some type of performance enhancing doctor with a separate agenda. He’s not that at all,” he said.

However Dr. Lewis Maharam, past president of the American College of Sports Medicine, is skeptical that Galea is clean. Maharam said it’s “incredibly fishy” that elite athletes with money would go to Canada for treatment or have a doctor without a license in the U.S. visit and treat them.

“Are they really going for the platelet-rich plasma therapy there and is this smoke?” Maharam said. “No doctor I know breaks the law intentionally and he had intention to break the law with his secretary. That tells you right there that we’re not dealing with a full deck. It’s also inappropriate to be treating yourself and, second, why are all these guys showing up there?”

Dr. Michael McKee, an orthopedic surgeon who has performed surgery on some of Galea’s patients at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, said Galea is widely respected and tries different and new things to get athletes back on the field.

“He’s a very innovative person in that regard, always trying to get elite athletes back as quickly as possible with the latest technology or techniques available. He’s very much at the forefront there,” McKee said.

McKee said he knew Galea would see NFL players on an individual basis during the offseason, but said he was always discreet and never bragged about who his patients were. He also insisted the doctor is not someone who has or would push performance-enhancing drugs on athletes.

“I would adamantly say that’s he’s not that type of person,” McKee said. “He’s a very well-respected physician in the Toronto area.”

Galea himself says he’s certain he’ll be cleared in the end.

“If you ask any one of these patients on these tables did I fix their injuries, ask them, they’ll tell you. And it wasn’t by that,” Galea said at his clinic, referring to HGH.

“I’m a Christian and I have a strong faith and I believe the truth will come out. Now I’m going to get beat up for the next several months, a year and then once it goes to court the truth has to come out. It cannot not come out. It has to come out.”

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Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.

http://www.ushour.com/sport/doctor-in-drug-case-known-for-unorthodox-methods/