By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – Jason Servis, former trainer of thoroughbred Maximum Security, has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a years-long racehorse doping scheme, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said on Wednesday.
Servis, 65, pleaded guilty last year after prosecutors said he doped nearly all of the horses under his care including Maximum Security, who appeared to have won the 2019 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified for interference.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear signal to those in the racehorse industry that no one is above the law,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.
“Endangering the welfare of animals for profit will not be tolerated. Illegally doping racehorses is a serious crime that will be met with a serious sentence.”
Servis’ attorney Rita Glavin said she was “disappointed” with the sentence, saying it was longer than what had been recommended by the government.
“Our view remains that Mr. Servis’ criminal conduct was less egregious than other trainers who received lesser sentences,” Glavin said in a statement to Reuters.
“Mr. Servis is deeply remorseful, and he remains eternally grateful to the many owners, colleagues, and friends who, along with his family, provided him with unwavering support throughout this ordeal,” she added.
Servis ordered hundreds of bottles of SGF-1000, an illegal performance enhancing drug (PED) that he believed to be undetectable by regular drug screenings, prosecutors said.
He also regularly administered the drug Clenbuterol, which he obtained from co-defendant Jorge Navarro, who pleaded guilty to administering PEDs to horses in 2021.
In addition to the prison term, the Jupiter, Florida resident was sentenced to one year of supervised release and ordered to pay $311,760 in forfeiture, $163,932 in restitution, and a $30,000 fine.
The case against Servis is part of a broader investigation of widespread schemes by trainers, veterinarians, PED distributors, and others to secretly administer illegal drugs to racehorses.
At least 31 trainers, veterinarians, drug distributors and others have been charged since March 2020 over alleged doping affecting races in New York, Kentucky, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio and the United Arab Emirates.
Prosecutors said the goal of the scheme was to profit from the success of racehorses under their control by earning a share of their horses’ winnings.
By improving their horses’ racing records, trainers could charge higher fees and increase the number of racehorses in their stables.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
