A Canadian doctor whose high-profile clients have included Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez was charged yesterday with bringing unapproved drugs into the United States and unlawfully treating pro athletes.

Dr. Anthony Galea of Toronto, who is known for using a blood-spinning technique designed to speed recovery from injuries, is accused of injecting at least one current National Football League player with Actovegin, a calf's blood derivative which is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and providing a retired player with human growth hormone after his playing days had ended.

A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Buffalo, N.Y., charges Galea with smuggling, unlawful distribution of HGH, introducing an unapproved drug into interstate commerce, conspiring to lie to federal agents and conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Galea, who is not authorized to work in the United States, is accused of repeatedly entering the country from 2007 to 2009 to treat professional athletes from Major League Baseball, the NFL and Professional Golfers' Association, U.S. Attorney William Hochul said.

During that time, he billed three football players about $200,000, Hochul said.

"Today's complaint reveals that those responsible for the flow of illegal drugs into our country can come from all walks of life," Hochul said.

No athletes are identified by name in the government's criminal complaint or supporting affidavit, which describes Galea, 50, traveling to various U.S. cities to meet with athletes in hotel rooms and their homes.

ELSEWHERE

Auto racing: A federal judge yesterday dismissed Jeremy Mayfield's lawsuit against NASCAR, a ruling that presumably ends the yearlong saga surrounding the first Sprint Cup driver suspended for failing a random drug test.

U.S. District Judge Graham Mullen ruled in Charlotte, N.C., that Mayfield had twice waived his rights to pursue any claims against NASCAR when he signed documents both as a driver and as an owner to participate in the stock car series.

Mayfield was suspended last May 9 for failing a random drug test. NASCAR later said the driver tested positive for methamphetamines, a claim Mayfield has consistently denied.

High school athletics: The Texas program that tests high school athletes for steroids has survived a round of budget cuts, though it will be trimmed for the second time in a year.

Texas agencies were ordered yesterday to trim $1.2 billion as the state braces for a budget shortfall that could reach $18 billion. The $1 million steroids testing program had been seen as a likely target for elimination, but was instead reduced by $250,000.

Nearly 50,000 tests since February 2008 have found only about 20 confirmed cases of steroid use. The program began in 2007 with a $3 million budget.