Yet another case among federal indictments dismissed in 2020 for illegal drug activity in horse racing, Dr. Michael Posner was sentenced on September 29 to a relatively lenient sentence of two years probation with two months in custody. at home and a fine of $10,000.
The sentencing follows Posner’s June 29 guilty plea in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on a single count of drug tampering and misbranding. Judge J. Paul Oetken imposed the sentence, which also included 100 hours of community service.
One of five related indictments naming more than two dozen defendants dismissed by a grand jury in early 2020 charged Posner, a veterinarian, and three other defendants with crimes involving performance-enhancing drugs used in racing harnessed.
Posner admitted to allegations that, from at least 2014 to 2016, he distributed an illicit drug and authorized others to use his name and veterinary license to generate prescriptions for the drug for customers. By entering the plea, he avoided a jury trial.
Scott Robinson, named in the indictment with Posner, was sentenced in March 2021 to 18 months in prison. In September 2021, former vet Scott Mangini was sentenced to 18 months after prosecutors built a case that he sold products to Robinson, who resold them. In March 2022, Carl Garofalo Sr. was sentenced to six months in prison, with the government acknowledging his lesser culpability.
Posner allowed Mangini to use Posner’s name and veterinary license to make it appear that Posner was prescribing what was adulterated and mislabeled illegal oral paste.
Here is a list of the remaining people and their sentencing dates:
Lou Grasso (harness racing vet) October 27, 2022
René Allard (Harness racing coach) October 27, 2022
Thomas Guido (Harness Racing Coach) November 3, 2022
Michael Tannazzo (Thoroughbred Trainer) November 21, 2022
Donato Poliseno (Harness Racing Coach) December 6, 2022
Erica Garcia (thoroughbred vet) December 12, 2022
Awaiting judgment
Jason Servis (Thoroughbred trainer)
Alexander Chan (thoroughbred vet)
by Steven Wolf, for Harnesslink (with files from Bloodhorse.com)
