couldnt happen to nicer guys

[Jctoronto]

Trainer Richard Banca, vet Louis Grasso plead guilty in New York
May 12, 2022, from the USTA Communications Department
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Wednesday (May 11), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced that trainer Richard Banca and veterinarian Louis Grasso have pled guilty in their federal doping trial.

The U.S. Attorney’s office press release stated, “Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendants LOUIS GRASSO and RICHARD BANCA pled guilty to their respective roles in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead, in connection with the charges filed in United States v. Grasso et al., 20 Cr. 163 (OKC). Both GRASSO and BANCA pled guilty before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel.”

Banca and Grasso are scheduled for sentencing by Judge Castel on Sept. 6, 2022.

The complete press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, New York Racehorse Veterinarian And Standardbred Trainer Plead Guilty
In Federal Doping Case

Veterinarian Louis Grasso and Racehorse Trainer Richard Banca Used Their Positions to Acquire, Distribute and Administer Prohibited Performance Enhancing Drugs
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that defendants LOUIS GRASSO and RICHARD BANCA pled guilty to their respective roles in the distribution of adulterated and misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead, in connection with the charges filed in United States v. Grasso et al., 20 Cr. 163 (OKC).  Both GRASSO and BANCA pled guilty before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel. GRASSO and BANCA will each be sentenced by Judge Castel on September 6, 2022.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Grasso and Banca represent the corruption and greed of those in the racehorse industry looking to win at any cost.  In peddling illegal drugs and selling prescriptions to corrupt trainers, Louis Grasso abdicated his responsibilities as a medical professional to ensure the safety and health of the racehorses he “treated.” By injecting horses with unnecessary and, at times, unknown drugs, Grasso risked the lives and welfare of the animals under his care, all in service of helping corrupt racehorse trainers like Banca line their pockets through fraud. These latest convictions demonstrate the commitment of this Office and of our partners at the FBI to hold accountable individuals seeking to profit from animal abuse and deceit.”

According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment, the Superseding Information charging GRASSO and BANCA, prior charging instruments and other filings in this case[1], and statements during court proceedings:

The charges in the GRASSO case arise from an investigation of widespread schemes by racehorse trainers, veterinarians, PED distributors, and others to manufacture, distribute, and receive adulterated and misbranded PEDs and to secretly administer those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing. By evading PED prohibitions and deceiving regulators and horse racing officials, participants in these schemes sought to improve race performance and obtain prize money from racetracks throughout the United States, all to the detriment and risk of the health and well-being of the racehorses.  GRASSO, a veterinarian, not only accepted payment in exchange for prescriptions for powerful and medically unnecessary performance-enhancing drugs, he also created, distributed, and administered custom-made performance-enhancing drugs that were all misbranded and adulterated substances designed solely to improve racehorse performance. Through this fraudulent scheme, GRASSO helped corrupt trainers collect over $47 million in ill-gotten purse winnings. As a racehorse trainer, BANCA purchased and administered adulterated and misbranded drugs to his racehorses, and as a result of his crimes, his horses earned over $16 million in purse winnings. BANCA stood to profit from the success of racehorses under his control by earning a share of his horses’ winnings, and by improving his horses’ racing records, thereby yielding higher trainer fees and increasing the number of racehorses under his control.

*                 *                 *

U.S. Attorney Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force and its support of the Bureau’s Integrity in Sports and Gaming Initiative. Mr. Williams also thanked the Food and Drug Administration for their assistance.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi and Anden Chow are in charge of the prosecution.

 
[1] As to Grasso and Banca’s co-defendants, the entirety of the texts of the Indictments and the descriptions of the Indictments set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

Component(s):
USAO - New York, Southern
Contact:
Nicholas Biase
Victoria Bosah
(212) 637-2600click here.

[Horseradish]

CONSENT PRELIMINARY ORDER OF FORFEITURE/MONEY JUDGMENT as to Louis Grasso. IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED, by and between the United States of America, by its attorney Damian Williams, United States Attorney, Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi and Anden Chow, of counsel, and the Defendant, and his counsel, Glenn Garber, Esq., that As a result of the offense charged in Count One of the Indictment, to which the Defendant pied guilty, the Money Judgment in the amount of $412,442.62 in United States currency (the "Money Judgment") representing the value of the Forfeitable Property, shall be entered against the Defendant. Pursuant to Rule 32.2(b)(4) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, this Consent Preliminary Order of Forfeiture/Money Judgment is final as to the Defendant, shall be deemed part of the sentence of the Defendant and will be included in the judgment of conviction therewith. (Signed by Judge P. Kevin Castel on 5/11/22)(jw) (Entered: 05/11/2022)

[2beblunt]

Banca will get 7-9 months. 100%

[Joe 4 all]

   COULD HAVE FOOLED ME. RICHARD WAS A GENEROUS INDIVIDUAL AND IF I CAN BE OF ANY HELP, YOU GOT THE NUMPER 

[half round full swedge]

be racin dem ponies a year from now

[Yonkers1A]

Faraldough should immediately resign from any and all positions, then he should start walking into the ocean and not stop.

[wiseowl]

Nice things happen to nice people play the game pay the price.

[bestbetter]

When I bet I assume they are all cheating... The program is a comic book.

[Harness racer]

When I bet I assume they are all cheating... The program is a comic book.

I don't assume they are all cheating; but you know the one's that aren't.   They are almost auto tosses.