Michael Kegley Jr., among a large group of individuals indicted nearly two years ago for peddling or illegally using performance-enhancing drugs in the Purebred racing industry, was arrested by Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil of the United States District Court sentenced from January 6 to 30 months in prison.
According to court records, Kegley was initially charged with conspiracy for a maximum term of five years. Thursday’s sentencing hearing comes after a plea agreement between Kegley and the United States was approved by the court during a July 23 hearing when Kegley formally pleaded guilty to one count of drug fraud and distribution. misbranding, subject to a maximum sentence of three. many years. The conspiracy charge has been dismissed.
The range of judgments in federal court is advisory, not mandatory. Sentencing guidelines for this case call for a prison term of 30 to 36 months, which is part of the plea agreement. Kegley’s attorney, Scott C. Cox, of Louisville, Ky., asked the court to impose a year in prison. Prosecutors recommended the shorter end of the sentencing guidelines.
During his July 23 plea hearing, Kegley engaged in a conversation with Vyskocil, known in court circles as an allocator, admitting to advertising and selling PEDs for racehorse use. Thoroughbred. In the words of U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss after that hearing, Kegley “advertises and sells unregulated performance-enhancing substances for use by people engaged in fraud and unscrupulous animal abuse.” in the world of professional equestrian racing,”
The federal court system has no pardons available, and Kegley is likely to serve 85% of his sentence, which could be reduced to some time if he follows institutional rules while in prison. detention.
Kegley works at Medivet Equine in Nicholasville, Ky., where he sells illegal products. As part and parcel of Kegley’s sentence, a $3,310,490 money sentence was handed down on January 5.
The award on the amount, agreed in writing by Kegley and attorney Cox, said the multi-million dollar amount represented the seizure of the value of “any and all drugs that were adulterated or mislabelled” was or may have been introduced into interstate commerce by Kegley or was kept by him for sale following interstate shipment.
The government has agreed to accept $192,615 in full satisfaction of a money judgment as long as the amount is actually paid within 24 months of his release from prison. Judge Vyskocil refused to fine Kegley, which could be up to $10,000.
The case against Kegley and more than two dozen others allegedly involved in various schemes designed to use PEDs in horse racing originated in New York through four indictments sealed in February 2020. after a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Food and Drug Administration. , New York City Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The best known public figures in this case are coaches Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis. Navarro signed a plea agreement and admitted guilt. When he was sentenced on December 17, he was sentenced to five years in prison. As previously reported by BloodHorse, a restitution order of $26,860,514 has also been entered. Servis still pleads not guilty.
After Navarro and before Kegley, the most recent defendant to be convicted was Dr Kristian Rhein, who on Wednesday was sentenced by Vyskocil to 36 months in prison and hefty monetary penalties. In August 2021, Rhein pleaded guilty to distributing adulterated and mislabeled PEDs and administering them to horses trained by Servis while working as a veterinarian. He was stripped of his veterinary license by New York authorities. He and the other indicted were suspended from racing.
