New Jersey veterinarian Dr Rebecca Linke, whose professional career has focused on the treatment of Standardbred and Thoroughbred racehorses, gave up racing related rights for two years as part of the treatment. deal with federal prosecutors.
Without a deal, Linke is likely to face a more serious fate as part of a February 2020 federal indictment along with 18 others for trafficking in misbranded and approved drugs. sold to enhance the performance of racehorses. This indictment includes coaches Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis. Navarro pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison on December 17. Servis pleaded not guilty and will proceed to trial late next year.
Linke entered into the deferred prosecution agreement during a December 21 virtual hearing before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. The agreement requires Linke to be supervised for two years by a US Pre-Trial Services employee and subject to certain restrictions during that time. At the end of two years and provided she has complied, all charges that Linke faces as part of the federal indictment will be dropped.
Until December 18, 2023, Linke was unable to obtain any professional license that would allow her to participate in equestrian sport. She is also prohibited from practicing medicine on any horse that is involved or intends to participate in pari-mutuel horse racing, and she may not be affiliated with any Colts Neck member or employee. Equine, a veterinary practice in Manalapan, NJ, where she is an associate veterinarian.
Linke also has travel restrictions that limit her to the Southern or Eastern Counties of New York (which includes the 13 counties below around and includes New York City and Long Island) and New Jersey, except when she has permission from the Preprocessor Service.
The agreement also includes a provision authorizing the office of United States attorney Damian Williams, with the Southern District of New York, to revoke or modify any provision of this agreement or prosecution for crimes for which she has to face. The agreement also states that federal prosecutors can release Linke from her conditions before the end of the two years.
The provision that would allow Williams’ office to change the terms of her settlement or prosecute at its own discretion prompted Vyskocil to ask assistant US attorney Anden Chow why the federal government felt it was necessary. has the authority to revoke any condition.
Chow said the provision gives federal prosecutors the opportunity to pursue charges again, if necessary, without having to return to a grand jury.
“In essence, we are suspending the case but it is still being heard by the court,” Chow said.
Linke and her attorney David Wikstrom both said they understood the condition and approved it.
Linke, who was born and raised in Monmouth County, New Jersey, was indicted for providing falsely branded and adulterated performance-enhancing drugs to Standardbred coach Nicholas Surick. Linke is also accused of creating fake medical and pharmaceutical records to conceal Surick’s activities, according to the indictment. Standardbred trainer Christopher Marino is also said to have administered the drugs provided by Linke.
According to her profile on the Colts Neck Equine website, Linke entered the sport in 2006 and developed a practice that primarily consists of Standardbred racehorses and showhorses. She said her hobbies include retraining purebred horses, playing polo and raising Standardbred racehorses.
In other activity related to the federal indictment, veterinarian Seth Fishman remains free following a December 20 hearing to consider revoking his bail.
Federal prosecutors asked Vyskocil to revoke Fishman’s bail because he continued after being arranged to sell “injectable, adulterated and mislabeled performance-enhancing drugs” from the business His Florida businesses operate under the names of Equestology, Camelology, and Equi-Tech. Prosecutors argued Fishman should be detained until his trial is scheduled for January 19.
Fishman’s attorney Maurice Sercarz countered in a letter to Vyskocil that the veterinarian “never concealed his intention to continue exporting his product after his arrest” and that he had followed the rules. required restrictions to comply with federal export exemptions related to adulteration or mislabeling. Cosmetics.
Vyskocil agrees to let Fishman out on bail.
Sercarz told BloodHorse: “Dr Fishman will remain free, with more limited bail conditions, with the consent of the parties. Details of those additional restrictions have yet to be disclosed.
Fishman was arrested on October 30, 2019, in New York after boarding a flight from the United Arab Emirates and later released on a $100,000 bail secured by his home in Highland. Beach, Fla. Following the indictment, Fishman said his main source of income was exporting veterinary products to the UAE and that he had no clients or horses under his care in the United States.
