Prosecutors: Cyclist Joe Papp, anti-doping witness against Landis, to plead guilty in Pa.

Pa. cyclist who testified against Landis to plead

PITTSBURGH — Federal prosecutors say a Pennsylvania cyclist who was a U.S. Anti-Doping Agency witness against Floyd Landis in 2007 will plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute human growth hormone and another performance-enhancing drug.

In the Landis case, Joe Papp acknowledged his long pattern of drug use and testified about the ways synthetic testosterone helped him recover after races.

On Wednesday, he’s scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Pittsburgh, and prosecutors say he’ll plead guilty to conspiring to distribute human growth hormone and another drug.

Papp received a two-year ban for doping based on his acknowledgments. That’s the customary penalty for a first-time drug offender.

Papp’s attorney could not immediately be reached Wednesday.