PA Trainer Rojas Faces Federal Charges
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The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced Aug. 12 that a grand jury in Harrisburg has indicted another local Thoroughbred horse trainer on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy.
Trainer Murray L. Rojas, 49, of Grantville, Pa., was charged in a five-count indictment with wire fraud and conspiracy for conduct related to 11 races in which she had horses entered at Penn National Race Course in early 2013. The races in question were from Jan. 19-Feb. 16.
The indictment alleges Rojas directed and conspired with unnamed and unindicted coconspirator veterinarian(s) to administer substances to horses on the day they were entered to race, in violation of Pennsylvania law, racing rules, and regulations prohibiting the administering of those substances.
The indictment further alleges that steps were taken to conceal this conduct by the backdating of invoices for the sale and administration of drugs to the horses on race day, as well as submitting fraudulent veterinarian treatment reports to the Pennsylvania Racing Commission.
Peter Smith, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, views these activities as federal crimes. In previous cases prosecution has noted that purse money for the races is funded by the interstate wagering. This indictment notes that purse fund money used to pay Rojas was wired from a bank in San Francisco to a Pennsylvania bank.
The indictment of Rojas follows the March indictments of four Penn National-based racetrack vets: Kevin Brophy, Fernando Motta, Christopher Korte, and Renee Nodine on charges related to illegal race-day administration of medications. Those vets entered guilty pleas and agreed to cooperate with investigators.
The criminal charges against the vets followed the November 2013 federal indictments of three trainers at Penn National: David Wells, Sam Webb, and Patricia Anne Rogers, as well as clocker Danny Robertson. Wells pled guilty in state court to race-rigging, admitting to numerous race-day medication violations, and as part of his sentence was incarcerated for three months; Rogers' case also was moved to state court where she received 12 months probation and 40 hours of community service. Webb's case was thrown out of federal court; Robertson entered a guilty plea in federal court.
The Rojas indictment alleges that she obtained winnings totaling $52,360 from the 11 races in which it is alleged she directed the administration of prohibited substances to her horses.
The case was investigated by the Harrisburg Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture's Horse Racing Commission. Prosecution is assigned to Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe. The maximum penalty under federal law is 20 years of imprisonment on each count, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.