Report: Former trainer Tannuzzo is sentenced to 27 months

Michael Tannuzzo, a former trainer who pled guilty July 7 to one count of adulteration and misbranding of drugs, was sentenced Monday to 27 years in federal prison, according to a Bloodhorse report.

Tannuzzo was one of 27 people indicted in March 2020 after an FBI investigation into illegal horse doping.

His sentence was pronounced by judge May Kay Vyskocil in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. A money judgment of $15,893 also was entered against Tannuzzo as part of his sentence, according to the Bloodhorse report.

Tannuzzo initially denied all wrongdoing, citing guilt by association because former trainer Jorge Navarro was his best friend, according to the report. As part of a plea agreement last year, Navarro admitted that he administered to horses drugs that were misbranded and/or adulterated.

Yyskocil sentenced Navarro to 60 months in prison and ordered him to pay more than $25.8 million to victims of the conspiracy.

Guidelines called for Tannuzzo to be sentenced for 30 to 36 months, according to the report.

Tannuzzo was suspended by the New York Racing Association after the indictments in the case were unsealed, according to the report.