Redskins wide receiver Santana Moss was among the professional athletes treated by Dr. Anthony Galea, a Toronto physician charged Tuesday with smuggling human growth hormone into the United States, The Buffalo News and The Washington Post reported.
The News was the first to report Thursday that Moss was a client of Galea, citing sources close to the case, but said federal prosecutors don't intend to file criminal charges against the receiver or any other athlete who had dealings with the doctor.
Shanahan reserves judgment
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan addressed the Santana Moss situation Thursday, and his message was clear: He's not jumping to any conclusions about his wide receiver. **More ...**
"At this juncture, any of the persons who are alleged to have used these substances are considered witnesses, and not targets, of this investigation," William J. Hochul Jr., the U.S. attorney in Buffalo, told The News.
Galea is accused of smuggling, unlawful distribution of HGH and unlawfully treating professional athletes. A court document filed Tuesday in Buffalo revealed that Galea made multiple trips to New York, Boston, Cleveland and other U.S. cities to meet with professional athletes.
According to sources of both papers, Moss was the player whom Galea's medical assistant, Mary Anne Catalano, was on her way to meet in Washington when she was arrested at the U.S.-Canada border in 2009 with banned substances, syringes and other medical equipment in her vehicle.
The Post earlier said that Moss received HGH from Galea, but it later changed its report to say the receiver was only treated by the doctor.
Moss, a nine-year NFL veteran, wouldn't discuss the matter Wednesday, according to The Post.
"I'll talk about football. I don't know about nothing else," Moss said. "I ain't got nothing to do with nothing that ain't about me."
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said Thursday at a luncheon in Leesburg, Va., that he's taking a "wait and see" approach to the reports about Moss and he'll speak to the receiver "at the right time." Shanahan also said he hasn't been contacted by the league.
"Let's just wait and see before we throw him underneath the bus," said Shanahan, who pointed out: "Just because he's been associated with a doctor doesn't mean this person's guilty."
Shanahan said he has talked to "a couple of people" whose names have been previously associated with Galea.
"A lot of people whose names have been associated, there's no repercussions," the coach said. "So we're getting a little ahead of ourselves right now."
One of Galea's attorneys, Mark J. Mahoney, denied the allegations of wrongdoing against the doctor.
"[Galea] strictly provided treatment for injuries," Mahoney told The News on Wednesday. "If any athlete got [HGH], it was injected directly into injured tissue, in very small amounts, for purposes of healing."
The NFL is aware of the reports linking Moss to Galea, NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported Thursday, but the league will not make any more statements regarding the ongoing federal investigation, according to a spokesman. The league said earlier this week that it hopes to have HGH testing included in the next collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association.
Moss likely would be suspended by the league if he's found to have taken HGH or any other banned substance.
Moss' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, didn't return a message seeking comment.
Moss revealed at minicamp earlier this month that he recently had arthroscopic knee surgery on his left knee to fix a problem that had been bothering him for three years.
"Santana's been out for a while," Shanahan said. "He's been working extremely hard over at the facility. We understand the rules and the guide lines, and they're very explicit, so hopefully we do things the right way."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.