By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Thread
BBC - Decrypt - LightRead - Honduras - Source
SDNY COURTHOUSE, April 28 -- In what was called a racehorse doping take-down, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York on the morning of March 9, 2020 announced more than a dozen arrests.
Inner City Press went to cover the presentments in the SDNY Magistrates Courts and personally witnessed 11 of them, all given bail packages and released: " Defendants up now, arrested 4-5 am in race horse drug adulteration conspiracy case: Alexander Chan (Federal Defender), Christopher Marino, Henry Argueta, Kristian Rhein (retained, R), Michael Tannuzzo, Nicholas Surick (R), Rebecca Linke and Ross Cohen (R)."
On April 8, 2022 a trial was set for a co-defendant: " in the light of new covid protocols for the courthouse, the trial of Lisa Giannelli is going forward on April 27, 2022 in Courtroom 18C of 500 Pearl Street, New York."
Inner City Press observed jury selection, and on April 18 Giannelli's lawyer cross examined the FBI agent who took the vials of drugs from her house in Delaware. He manipulated the vials in a plastic bag for the projector. Judge Vyskocil said, Don't break them. Later the FBI Agent read from the caution: only to be used with a licensed vet. The trail continues.
Back on December 6, 2021 the US Attorney's Office told Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil that Seth Fishman is still violation the law with 'bleeder" paste and energy drinks. A hearing has been set for December 20.
On August 2, Federal Defenders filed for defendant Alexander Chan a motion to suppress Title III wiretaps, writing that "When the FBI filed wiretap affidavits to intercept calls from Jason Servis and Kristian Rhein, they knowingly and intentionally misrepresented to the court that SGF-1000 and Clenbuterol were PEDs. They did so despite knowledge that SGF-1000 had been tested by a world reknown laboratory, the Hong Kong Jockey Club Lab and had been found not to be a PED." Watch this site.
On July 30, it emerged the lead defendant was set to plead guilty, see below.
On October 20, Christopher Oakes pleaded guilty. Inner City Press covered it. Judge Vyskocil asked if he trained and drugged thoroughbred or standard horses (standards), and if it was at Yonkers (it was). The AUSA described a covert search of the barn associated with the defendant. Judge Vyskocil accepted the plea and set sentencing for February 17 at 10 am.
On September 29: "ORDER as to Jordan Fishman. Change of Plea Hearing for Jordan Fishman is scheduled for 10/6/2021 at 4:30pm before Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil."
And Inner City Press covered and live tweeted it here
This originally-19 defendant case is US v. Navarro et al., 20-cr-160 (Viskocil).
But what of Amr Abdelaziz of Phoenix Thoroughbreds, who used horses to launder money from OneCoin about which the SDNY prosecutors were so concerned until, like with the UN, they weren't? Watch this site.
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