Report: Saints coach accused in drug suit

NEW ORLEANS, May 1 (UPI) -- New Orleans Saints head Coach Sean Payton is the unnamed staffer accused of receiving stolen painkillers, The (New Orleans) Times Picayune reported Saturday.

Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper reported that Payton is the person referred to in a lawsuit brought by former Saints security director Geoff Santini as "Senior Staff Member A," who was allegedly given a large quantity of Vicodin pills stolen from the team's drug cabinet.

Santini's suit alleges that "Senior Staff Member A" was given the pills despite having no medical condition after they were stolen by "Senior Staff Member B," whom The Times-Picayune identified as Saints linebackers coach Joe Vitt.

Payton vehemently denied the allegations in a statement Saturday, saying, "I have reviewed Geoff Santini's lawsuit and the unwarranted publicity it has received. I have never abused or stolen Vicodin or any other medication and I fully support the Saints' position in this matter as expressed by (team spokesman) Greg Bensel yesterday."

Payton is not accused of being involved with the theft of the medication.

Bensel on Friday claimed that Santini, who quit the Saints post last August, "threatened to go public with these unfounded charges unless we agreed to pay him an exorbitant sum of money."