2 more are sentenced in federal horse doping conspiracy case
Michael Kegley Jr. was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison as part of a larger alleged conspiracy that embroiled former trainers Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro among others, according to court documents from Friday.
The sentencing was first reported by BloodHorse.
Documents obtained by Horse Racing Nation indicated that Kegley would have to potentially pay over $3.3 million to the government. However, as long as he pays the amount of $192,615 within two years of his release from prison, he will not be liable for the full amount.
The court recommended in its judgment that Kegley be housed at the federal correctional institution in Ashland, Ky., a minimum-security facility. He will be subject to a year of probation following his prison term.
According to the superseding indictment for the case from November 2020, Kegley was an employee of a firm that was selling misbranded and adulterated performance enhancing drugs. He was charged with a count of drug adulteration and misbranding conspiracy.
Kegley pleaded guilty in July.
“Michael Kegley promoted and sold unregulated performance enhancing substances intended for use by those engaged in fraud and unconscionable animal abuse in the world of professional horseracing,” U.S. attorney Audrey Strauss said in a news release when Kegley entered his plea. “This conviction underscores that our Office and our partners at the FBI are committed to the prosecution and investigation of corruption, fraud, and endangerment at every level of the horse racing industry.”
The indictment states that Kegley, along with Kristian Rhein, who was sentenced to three years on Thursday, sold, marketed and administered a drug known as SGF-1000. However, Kegley and Rhein allegedly admitted to not knowing what was in the drug during phone conversations intercepted by investigators.
“(Kegley) acknowledged the illegal nature of his actions,” the indictment read. “Explaining in one such recording that racehorse trainers racing in the United States could be charged with felonies for doping racehorses.”
According to court documents, Rhein will have to pay restitution in the amount of $729,716 in addition to serving his sentence. The court recommended he spend his sentence in in FCI Otisville, a medium-security facility in New York and he will also be subject to a year of probation after getting out.