A New York federal jury heard the opening statement on January 20 as the horse doping conspiracy trial against Dr Seth Fishman and Lisa Giannelli got underway.
Prosecutor Anden Chow began by telling jurors that the defendants had been running a black-market drug conspiracy for two decades. He said Fishman and Giannelli created hundreds of drugs that were used to secretly cause addiction to racehorses.
The drug they manufacture goes undetected during post-race testing, says Chow, so their client trainers can increase their chances of winning races by implementing the behavior. cheat.
“For two decades, they tried their best to avoid arrest,” the prosecutor said. “They have been successful to this day.”
Fishman and Giannelli have been put on trial on charges of conspiracy to misbrand and adulterate drugs, including performance-enhancing drugs used to induce addiction to horses at racetracks around the country. .
The opening statements came after a jury of eight women and four men sat in United States District Court in Manhattan.
Fishman and Giannelli are among more than two dozen trainers, veterinarians and others arrested in 2020 in what prosecutors say is the deepest prosecution of seahorse doping in history History of the United States Department of Justice. Among those accused is celebrity trainer Jason Servis who has Maximum security finished first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) but was disqualified for interference. Servis has still pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Fishman and Giannelli listened attentively as Chow and their attorney addressed the jury. Each person is free with 100,000 USD guarantee.
Chow Tinh Tri was the first to speak before the judges.
He says the horse racing world is a highly lucrative business, with some people preferring dopeed horses to get an edge. As a precaution, he said, regulators have established rules about what substances can be used on horses and when.
“Fishman and Giannelli sold drugs to follow these rules,” Chow said.
Prosecutors said Fishman and Giannelli, who were his associates, had “hundreds of clients” and were “paid in millions of dollars.”
One of the drugs Fishman produced, Chow said, increased the red blood cell count in horses to increase endurance. He said Fishman described the drug as the “holy grail” of drugs.
Prosecutors said Fishman was also obsessed with making drugs that could go undetected during post-race testing.
Chow adds that one of Fishman’s clients is trainer Jorge Navarro. He describes Navarro as one of the sport’s most successful coaches, who has run a doping program based on Fishman and others.
Navarro pleaded guilty to his role in the case and was sentenced to five years in prison.
EHALT: Navarro gets 5 years in prison in PED . case
Chow told jurors that the government’s case would include testimony from boatmen who bought Fishman’s drugs, text messages, items seized as part of a search warrant, and ” the defendants’ words on the wiretapping device.”
In his opening statement, Fishman’s attorney Maurice Sercarz said that when Fishman became a veterinarian, he swore an oath to always work for the good and health of horses.
“This is the call he answered,” Sercarz said.
He added, “The government will have to prove that his intentions and intentions were something other than limiting animal suffering.”
Defense attorneys told jurors that racing had great beauty, but also had a bad side, with too many owners and coaches willing to cheat.
Sercarz said his client did not intend to scam or mislead anyone.
“Individuals who have purchased substances and products from Dr. Fishman know what they are getting,” he said.
Giannelli’s lawyer Louis Fasulo insists his client did nothing wrong. She believes the products Fishman makes can be distributed to others, he said.
He describes Giannelli as a high school graduate dedicated to the health of horses.
“She went to work and fulfilled her responsibilities,” Fasulo said.
Following the opening statements, prosecutors called their first witness, Courtney Adams, for limited testimony before the trial ended on Thursday. She worked for Fishman’s business Equestology division in South Florida from 2012-16.
She said that during that time she’s seen Mermaids treat animals “maybe once or twice.” Prosecutors argued that Fishman’s business was more about selling drugs than tending horses.
Her testimony continued on January 21.
Leading industry publications Thoroughbred are working together to cover this important trial.
