Rojas Sentenced to Prison for Misbranding Equine Drugs
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Photo: Chad B. Harmon
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Murray Rojas has been sentenced to 27 months in federal prison after the former trainer was found guilty of misbranding drugs and illegally administering race day medication to horses in 2013.
In 2017, Rojas, 53, from Grantsville, Pa., was found guilty in a U.S. District Court on 14 counts of causing a prescription animal drug to be misbranded and conspiracy to commit misbranding. Trial evidence showed backdated invoices in attempts to conceal the sale and race day administration of drugs Rojas directed veterinarians to give to horses in her care. Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racecourse ejected the trainer in July 2017.
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Rojas is scheduled to begin her sentence, issued May 6 by U.S. District Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, on June 3 and will be on a supervised release the following two years. Her additional supervised release terms state she must not engage in an occupation, profession, or volunteer activity in the horse racing industry without prior approval from her probation officer.
Rojas must also pay a $1,400 assessment fee and $5,000 fine in criminal monetary penalties.
A horse has not been saddled to race by Rojas since August 2015, the same month a grand jury in Harrisburg, Pa., indicted her on charges related to 11 races she entered horses in from Jan.19-Feb. 16, 2013 at Penn National. The conspiracy took place 2002-14 and involved 58 races.
Her husband, Eduardo Rojas, is still actively training.