Fishman Found Guilty; Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison

[Wandering Eyes]

Florida veterinarian Dr. Seth Fishman, the first person to face trial in a sweeping horse-doping case that documented the widespread use of illegal and undetectable performance-enhancing drugs at tracks across the country, was convicted in New York Feb. 2 on charges that could put him behind bars for 15 years.

A jury of eight women and four men in U.S. District Court in Manhattan found Fishman, 50, guilty of conspiring to violate adulteration and misbranding laws and the manufacture of PEDs administered to racehorses by corrupt trainers for money and fame.

U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil will sentence Fishman May 5. The verdict came after three hours of deliberations over two days. The trial lasted 11 days. Fishman was absent from the courtroom.

It was nearly two years ago that Fishman, six other veterinarians, 11 trainers and nine others, identified as PED distributors, were charged in schemes in a conspiracy to dope horse following a two-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and New York federal prosecutors.

Those charged included top trainer Jason Servis, who federal prosecutors say juiced multi-millionaire Maximum Security (New Year's Day), the first-place finisher in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby who was demoted to 17th by stewards for interference with another horse in the race. Servis is awaiting trial.

The accused also included Jorge Navarro, who was sentenced to five years in prison last year after pleading guilty to conspiracy.

This story will be updated.

The Thoroughbred industry's leading publications are working together to cover this key trial.

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