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Thoroughbred Trainer Doping Scheme Exposed
A shocking scandal has hit the world of horse racing with the guilty pleas of Thoroughbred trainer Jorge Navarro and veterinarian Kristian Rhein in a federal doping case. According to sources, Navarro and Rhein were involved in a scheme to distribute adulterated and misbranded performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horseracing.
The investigation, led by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss, revealed that Navarro and Rhein worked together to evade PED prohibitions and deceive regulators and horse racing officials. The duo stood to profit from the success of racehorses under their control, earning a share of their winnings and increasing their trainer fees.
Navarro, a licensed trainer, operated his doping scheme covertly, importing misbranded ‘clenbuterol’ that he both used and distributed to others. He worked with others to coordinate the administration of PEDs at times that racing officials would not detect such cheating. Among the horses that Navarro trained and doped was XY Jet, a thoroughbred horse that won the 2019 Golden Shaheen race in Dubai.
Rhein, the head veterinarian and owner of Empire Veterinary Group, profited from the sale and administration of medically unnecessary, misbranded, and adulterated substances. Among the misbranded and adulterated PEDs promoted, sold, and administered by Rhein were an illegally distributed prescription drug, Clenbuterol, used as a bronchodilator and the drug ‘SGF-1000,’ which was compounded and manufactured in unregistered facilities and contained growth factor.
The charges in the Navarro 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. 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 and other countries.
Navarro pled guilty today, while Rhein pled guilty on August 3, 2021. Both defendants will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil. Rhein will be sentenced on December 2, 2021, and Navarro will be sentenced on December 17, 2021.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said, ‘Kristian Rhein and Jorge Navarro represent the supply side and the customer side of the market in performance-enhancing substances that have corrupted much of the horse racing industry. These latest convictions demonstrate the continued commitment of this Office and our partners at the FBI to the investigation and prosecution of corruption, fraud, and endangerment at every level of the horse racing industry.’
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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