HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the
Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that former Penn National horse
trainer Murray Rojas, age 53, of Grantville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May
6, 2019, to 27 months’ imprisonment on each of her 14 felony convictions for
misbranding prescription drugs on race day and conspiracy. The sentences were
ordered to run concurrent to each other. Rojas was also sentenced to serve 2
years of supervised release and to pay a $5,000 fine.
According to United States Attorney David J. Freed, Rojas
was convicted by a federal jury on June 30, 2017, of 14 felony counts of
misbranding prescription drugs on race day and conspiracy. The crimes involved
Rojas directing veterinarians to administer drugs to her horses on race day in
violation of track rules and state law. The conspiracy took place between 2002
and 2014, and involved 58 races. Rojas
conspired with three veterinarians to have the drugs dispensed and administered
to horses on the day they were entered to race.
As part of the conspiracy the veterinarians attempted to
conceal this conduct by backdating invoices for the sale and administration of
drugs to the horses on race day, as well as the submission of fraudulent
veterinarian treatment reports to the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission.
The United States Attorney’s Office prosecuted several other
individuals as part of this investigation in federal and state court,
including:
Danny Robertson,
the official clocker, charged with wire fraud, sentenced to one year probation
and ordered to pay a $2,500 fine;
Craig Lytel, a
racing official, charged with wire fraud, sentenced to four months in prison
and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine;
David Wells, owner
and trainer, charged with rigging a publicly exhibited contest, sentenced on
February 23, 2015, to three months’ imprisonment;
Patricia Rogers,
trainer, charged with rigging a publicly exhibited contest, received an ARD in
Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas;
Samuel Webb,
trainer, charged with rigging a publicly exhibited contest, received an ARD in
Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas;
Renée Nodine,
veterinarian, charged with misbranding and conspiracy, awaiting sentencing;
Kevin Brophy,
veterinarian, charged with misbranding and conspiracy, awaiting sentencing;
Fernando Motta,
veterinarian, charged with misbranding and conspiracy, awaiting sentencing; and
Christopher Korte,
veterinarian charged with misbranding and conspiracy, awaiting sentencing.
Judge Rambo ordered Rojas to report to a federal prison to
be designated by the Bureau of Prisons on June 3, 2019. A decision whether
Rojas will be allowed to remain on bail pending an appeal is under advisement
by the court.
The case was investigated by the by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Horse Racing
Commission and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal
Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe prosecuted the
case.
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