Two Delaware residents are among the 27 charged with a scheme administering performance-enhancing drugs to racehorses.
The practice is commonly known as doping, with a court filing indicating that snake venom is one of the substances used.
The charges were filed in U.S. District Court in New York City.
The individuals are identified in court records and by the Associated Press as Donato Poliseno of Hartly and Lisa Giannelli of Felton.
The more than two dozen defendants are involved in various areas of the horse racing industry in the U.S. and overseas.
Also named was well-known trainer Jason Servis. Servis’ horse initially won the Kentucky Derby but was disqualified for interference.
The indictments each allege the shipment and administration of adulterated and misbranded drugs designed to enhance the racing performance of horses.
One indictment charges four defendants, including veterinarian Louis Grasso with conspiring to violate the misbranding laws of the United States.
Grasso allegedly manufactured, sold, and distributed adulterated and misbranded performance-enhancing drugs for use on racehorses. Grasso also obtained and distributed other PEDs, including snake venom, a type of pain-blocking substance.
The indictment alleges Rosso worked with Poliseno, a Delaware-based distributor of PEDs manufactured by Grasso and others.
In a separate indictment Florida veterinarian, Seth Fishman is charged with creating and shipping adulterated and misbranded drugs. Fishman, along with Lisa Giannelli of Felton and others allegedly developed and distributed multiple illegal PEDs, prosecutors allege. Those included “blood building” drugs specifically designed to evade anti-doping testing.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said: “Today’s unsealing of four indictments for widespread doping of racehorses is the largest ever of its kind from the Department of Justice. These defendants engaged in this conduct not for the love of the sport, and certainly not out of concern for the horses, but for money. And it was the racehorses that paid the price for the defendants’ greed. The care and respect due to the animals competing, as well as the integrity of racing, are matters of deep concern to the people of this District and to this Office.”
