Maltese doctor who treated Tiger Woods could face jail time

One of the world’s best sports doctor, Maltese-born Anthony Galea, who was under investigation for importing illegal drugs such as HGH (Human Growth Hormone) from the U.S., now faces serious jail time.

Toronto-based Galea was indicted by a federal grand jury in Buffalo, USA, on a number of drug-related charges according to a reports in the Buffalo Daily News. No date was set for Galea’s arraignment.

The five-count indictment alleges that Galea smuggled misbranded and unapproved drugs, including human growth hormone, into the United States, and lied to Homeland Security agents to avoid detection. Galea is also alleged to have treated more than 20 professional athletes despite not being licensed to practice medicine in the U.S.

"My office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, will not tolerate any attempts to either breach our nation's borders or to bring drugs that are not approved by the (Food and Drug Administration) into the United States," U.S. Attorney William Hochul said in a statement.

"There is a reason why the public expects the FDA to determine which substances can be safely used in this country. Misuse of certain substances can obviously be harmful, regardless of whether or not they are being administered by a medical professional."

The most serious charge Galea faces, smuggling, carries a maximum 20-year prison term. Other charges he is facing are punishable by five- and three-year terms.

His Toronto clinic was raided by Canadian authorities in October 2009 after he was detained at the U.S. border and found to be in possession of illegal drugs, including human growth hormone (HGH) and Actovegin, a drug extracted from calf’s blood that is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Galea was raised as a Catholic by Canadian parents of Maltese descent, works specifically with high profile sport athletes.
Galea a McMaster University Medical School graduate, and University of Toronto faculty member considered one of best sports medicine doctors in the world.

Galea's work in Israel
Galea has also devoted his life to bringing Canadian-style sports medicine and practice to the country’s best hospitals and is using home-grown Canadian sports medicine practices and technology to heal Israeli soldiers.

Galea works specifically with the Sheba Medical Center’s Rehabilitation Center, part of Tel Hashomer Hospital just outside Tel Aviv where he has formed the Canadian Friends of Sheba charity . Every three months, since 2001 Galea has been leading a mission to Israel bringing with him influential Canadian and American Christian and Jewish business people to the Holy Land.

The Sheba Hospital in Israel runs a rehabilitation centre, the largest of its kind in the region, that features state-of-the-art virtual reality technology for physiotherapy; the hospital’s technology, which is some of the best in the world, can be used more optimally, believes Galea, who uses his time and expertise and technology from his private centre in Toronto to help with the recovery of Israeli soldiers and high-profile athletes.

Since Israelis do not play a lot of hockey, baseball or football like Canadians, they can use help with developing sports medicine and exercise physiology practices in other areas, says Galea.