Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Calvin Barry- December 2009

Doctor connected to Tiger facing PED charges

Officials with United States Customs have arrested a Canadian doctor who has treated Tiger Woods and a list of top American athletes after his assistant was found in possession of growth hormone and other drugs purportedly intended for Dr. Anthony Galea when stopped and questioned at the border near Buffalo, New York on September 14th, according to Mike Fish of ESPN.

Our View: Officials report Galea has been the focus of an ongoing investigation in a joint effort of American and Canadian authorities. Galea is expected to appear Friday morning in a Canadian court in Toronto, according to attorney Brian Greenspan. He will face two charges of conspiracy as well as charges on the Food and Drug Act and Controlled Substances Act. In a news release, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said an unnamed assistant was apprehended after she was found to be in possession of Actovegin, a drug extracted from calf's blood that is illegal in the United States and not approved for use in Canada. In an interview with ESPN.com, Toronto criminal attorney Christophe Preobrazenski, who represented Galea at the time of his arrest, identified the assistant stopped by authorities at the Peace Bridge entry port as Mary Anne Catalano. Catalano's Toronto-based defense attorney, Calvin Barry, confirmed Wednesday that Catalano is no longer employed by Galea. Barry refused to shed light Wednesday on the drugs found in Catalano's possession or Galea's practice, citing the fact that she still faces criminal charges.


http://www.rototimes.com/pga/news.php?tqid=2433&type=news&nid=2340

Monday, December 21, 2009

Calvin Barry, Toronto Criminal Lawyer

Toronto doctor's charges not linked to Tiger Woods: Lawyer

Laura Stone and Jordana Huber, Canwest News Service

Published: Friday, December 18, 2009

TORONTO - Criminal charges faced by Toronto sports medicine doctor Anthony Galea are not related to golfer Tiger Woods, a lawyer for the doctor said Friday.

"Any suggestion of any linkage to Tiger Woods is non-existent," Brian Greenspan said outside a Toronto courthouse after a brief appearance on behalf of his client who is facing four charges related to the unapproved drug Actovegin.

Actovegin, a drug extracted from calf's blood, is illegal for sale in Canada and is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency if used intravenously, but is widely available elsewhere.

Greenspan said his client did not supply any athletes with performance enhancing drugs and any media reports suggesting otherwise "have been created by speculative journalists who simply would like a wish-fulfilment of a relationship between performance enhancing drugs and Dr. Galea."
"(Actovegin) is part of a cocktail that a lot of sports medicine physicians throughout the world use to accelerate the healing process after an injury. There is nothing performance-related, or performance-enhancement related, to the allegations," said Greenspan.

A spokesman for the World Anti-Doping Agency said they have tested Actovegin and it does not contain growth hormone or prohibited hormones.

However, the agency "closely monitors Actovegin since we are aware of its use in some sports, possibly in conjunction with other substances that may be prohibited," said WADA spokesman Frederic Donze.

Greenspan said Galea's past treatment of Woods is "irrelevant to why I'm here and to why Dr. Galea is before the court."

On Wednesday, the doctor - who has worked with sports figures from Woods to Canadian skater Patrick Chan to the Toronto Argonauts - was officially charged with four offences following his arrest on Oct. 15 at his sports clinic in Etobicoke, Ont.

Greenspan suggested that the charges relate to an incident in September when Galea's assistant, 32-year-old Mary Anne Catalano, was apprehended at the Canada-U.S. border with Actovegin and human growth hormone. The assistant was also found to have other unlabelled vials that are being tested in labs, according to the RCMP.

The seizure prompted the Canadian investigation, leading to a search of the doctor's lab where authorities found what they believed to be Actovegin.

Galea is due back in court at the end of January, when the contents of the search documents are expected to be revealed. Catalona may be called as a witness, said her Toronto lawyer Calvin Barry. She has her own court date in January in New York State.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Calvin Barry, Toronto Criminal Lawyer

Tiger Woods' doctor Tony Galea had no U.S. medical licenses, assistant MaryAnne Catalano told feds

By Teri Thompson, Michael O'Keeffe, Christian Red and Nathaniel Vinton

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Originally Published:Wednesday, December 16th 2009, 1:38 PM
Updated: Wednesday, December 16th 2009, 5:56 PM

When MaryAnne Catalano was stopped at the U.S.-Canadian border this fall with a bag of drugs and medical supplies belonging to Dr. Tony Galea in her possession, she told federal border agents that her boss, who had treated Tiger Woods and other pro athletes, had no medical licenses in the United States.

That could deepen the legal troubles for Galea, who was officially charged with four drug offenses Wednesday by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Galea was charged with selling the unapproved drug Actovegin, derived from calf's blood, conspiracy to import an unapproved drug, conspiracy to export a drug, and smuggling goods into Canada. According to the Canadian police, "The R.C.M.P. is alleging that it was Galea's intent to treat some of his patients outside Canada with Actovegin." Actovegin is illegal in the U.S. and Canada.

Galea has publicly admitted to treating Woods to "blood-spinning" treatments at Woods' home in Florida. Practicing medicine without a license is a crime in Florida, where an online database of healthcare providers kept by the state's Department of Health shows no record of Galea having been licensed to practice medicine now or in the past. The American Medical Association said it has no record of Galea being a member of that group. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, his membership in that group, which does not require a U.S. medical license, has expired.

According to Susan Smith of the Florida Department of Health, authorities are looking into whether Galea practiced without a license. "We don't know the details of this event," Smith said. "We have referred it to our Unlicensed Activity investigators for review."

After her arrest at the Peace Bridge point of entry near Buffalo, Catalano waived her right to remain silent and told law enforcement officers that day that Galea had told her to bring the drugs and other items into the U.S. because "he had been flagged." According to the affidavit filed by special agent Justin Burnham of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Catalano told authorities that "her employer holds no medical licenses in the United States and that she knew that administering these medications while in the United States was illegal."

Galea's attorney, Brian Greenspan, said he will appear on his client's behalf at a court hearing in Toronto Friday, and expects to receive further documentation of evidence the Canadian authorities gathered in an October search of Galea's clinic. Catalano, Galea's assistant, was carrying 20 vials and 76 ampoules of various drugs - along with 111 syringes - in her Nissan Rogue, including Nutropin-brand human growth hormone when she was arrested on Sept. 14, according to court documents.

"She no longer works there and it's before the courts," Catalano's attorney, Calvin Barry, told the Daily News Wednesday. "She's cooperating fully with authorities on both sides of the border…My understanding is at most she'll be a witness."

Barry said that his client had not spoken to Galea since her arrest.

Wednesday's news release from the RCMP referred to an associate of Galea's saying the person was "apprehended leaving Canada (for the United States) with the unapproved drug known as Actovegin," an extract that has raised alarms in anti-doping circles since at least 2000, when it appeared on the Tour de France.

After her arrest at the Peace Bridge point of entry near Buffalo, Catalano waived her right to remain silent. According to the affidavit, Catalano told customs agents that Galea "had problems attempting to import these same items into the United States on previous occasions and that he had advised her that he was flagged at the border. As a result, Catalano stated that her employer asked her to bring these items into the United States." The affidavit also says that Catalano stated that she was told by her employer 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."

ESPN.com first reported Wednesday details of Catalano's border arrest.

Galea has treated several well-known athletes, including Woods, the Mets' Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado and several Olympic stars and NFL players. He is known as the "miracle man" in Toronto circles. His colleague, chiropractor Mark Lindsay, who also worked with several of Victor Conte's BALCO clients before and after the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, worked with Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez as he rehabbed from hip surgery this summer. Lindsay also worked with Woods following his June 2008 surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament.

Greenspan said his client had done nothing illegal and has encouraged Catalano to be forthcoming with law enforcement officials. Galea is also under investigation by the FBI, an investigation that is being handled by the Buffalo field office. A representative of that office declined to comment on the matter.

Greenspan told reporters Tuesday that the HGH found in Catalano's possession was for Galea's personal use. Galea has said that he never provided Woods with human growth hormone.

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2009/12/16/2009-12-16_tiger_woods_doctor_tony_galea.html?page=1

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Calvin Barry

Why you should fight drunk driving charges:

Friday, December 4, 2009

Calvin Barry Toronto Criminal Lawyer

CALVIN BARRY
Professional Corporation
Criminal Lawyers

113 Front Street East
Toronto, ON M5A 4S5
Tel: 416-364-1224
Fax: 416-364-1468
Toll Free: 1-866-961-4963
cbarry@calvinbarry.ca

http://www.calvinbarry.ca/

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

CALVIN BARRY

Six years in jail for businessman turned bank robber
Posted: November 23, 2009, 6:03 PM by Rob Roberts
By Steph Davidson, National Post

A "mild-mannered" Toronto investment-firm staffer who robbed banks to feed a gambling addiction was sentenced to six years in jail today.

Kevin Pinto, 37, former compliance officer for Paradigm Capital, robbed 10 banks around southern Ontario between December, 2003, and October, 2008.

Mr. Pinto was dubbed "the exchange bandit," because he would ask the tellers about exchange rates before handing them a note demanding money. He began his spree in Toronto and Peel region in 2003, before expanding west to St. Catharines and Kitchener in 2004. After a two-year hiatus, he robbed banks in Toronto, Oakville and Cambridge. He was suspected of up to 21 robberies, but only charged with 10 counts.

Mr. Pinto turned himself in Oct. 2, 2008, after police publicized surveillance footage, and subsequently pled guilty. Mr. Pinto had no prior criminal record.

Today, he was escorted into court in handcuffs, meekly entering the prisoner's box to hear the judge read his fate. He looked slightly scared.


Court heard he is a "kind-hearted family man" who is seeking counselling for his addiction. Calvin Barry, Mr. Pinto's lawyer, said he's never seen someone less likely to have done such crimes. "He's a very mild-mannered gentleman."

Though some of his notes to tellers suggested he was armed during the robberies, he was not.

Mr. Pinto was sentenced to six years, with his pre-trial time served counting two-for-one. There was some dispute as to the total number of days Mr. Pinto already served, but it was decided that he will spend over three years and nine months longer in jail.

Mr. Barry said Mr. Pinto is genuinely remorseful and has expressed interest in teaching people of the "slippery slope" of gambling, which he said was no different than an addiction to heroin or alcohol.

Mr. Pinto, who earned over $100,000 a year, came away with more than $33,000 to support his gambling habit from the robberies.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/11/23/six-years-in-jail-for-businessman-turned-bank-robber.aspx