NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A former New York racehorse trainer was convicted of selling “untestable” performance-enhancing drugs for racehorses for 15 years, United States District Attorney Damiam Williams announced Friday.
Lisa Giannelli was one of over 30 people involved in a nearly two-decade scheme to make and sell the undetectable drugs which were sold under the premise that they would improve a horse’s abilities. Giannelli would then take a cut from the horses’ winnings, officials said.
The elaborate ring of fraudsters included racehorse trainers, veterinarians, performance enhancing drug distributors, and others who manufactured, distributed, and received adulterated and misbranded PEDs and secretly administered those PEDs to racehorses competing at all levels of professional horse racing, authorities said.
Horses given the misbranded medicine competed in races all over the country and worldwide including places like New York, New Jersey, Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and the United Arab Emirates, court documents show.
Giannelli’s company, Equestology, sold intravenous and intramuscular injectables which included “blood building” drugs, vasodilators, and bags filled with scores of “bleeder pills,” each designed to covertly increase performance in horses administered the treatment.
During the investigation, Giannelli lied to state investigators to cover up her crimes and sold vials with no or incomplete labels.
“For almost two decades, Lisa Giannelli peddled untestable performance-enhancing drugs to give racehorse trainers the tools to dope racehorses. As a former standardbred racehorse trainer, Giannelli knew firsthand the dangers of selling illegal, injectable performance-enhancing drugs to trainers who were recklessly injecting horses to gain a competitive edge,” D.A. Williams said. “ The jury’s swift conviction demonstrates the gravity of Giannelli’s criminal scheme. This Office remains committed to holding accountable those who would engage in the kind of fraud and animal abuse exemplified by Giannelli’s crimes.”
Giannellii was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit misbranding and drug adulteration. She faces up to five years in prison.
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