4 Arrests At Penn National

www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2013/11/arrests_at_penn_national_race.html

4 arrested at Penn National Race Track; law enforcement hasn't said why

By Donald Gilliland
on November 22, 2013 at 10:58 AM, updated November 22, 2013 at 11:11 AM

Penn National Race Track has confirmed that four arrests were made at the racing facility in East Hanover Township, Dauphin County, on Friday morning.

In a statement, spokesman Fred Lipkin told PennLive, "We understand that four arrests have been made here today.

"We are not privy to any details of those arrests, nor have we been contacted by law enforcement, so at this time we cannot provide any comment on the matter."

Lipkin directed any further questions to law enforcement agencies.

A state police spokesman referred questions regarding the arrest to the U.S. Attorney's office in Harrisburg, which declined comment. A spokeswoman for the FBI's Philadelphia office didn't immediately return a phone call seeking information.

No indictments involving the arrests had been filed in U.S. Middle District Court as of Friday morning.

Thank you Mack and George. In the future, inflammatory posts regarding news, facts, quotes and the like that do not include a source will be archived until they do. It's just the way it's got to be to protect the forum's integrity.

INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY BUT YET YOU POST ON PEOPLE FACING INDICTMENT ? LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE ALREADY DECIDED JUDGMENT

PAULICK GETS HIS STONES OFF ON STUFF LIKE THIS. STUFF LIKE THIS IS THE RESON WHY I DONT WATCH THE NEWS. THE NEWS FAVORS THE PROSECUTION 10 TIMES OUT OF 10, PAULICK PUTS UP INDICTMENTS BUT YET HE DOESNT WAIT FOR THE DEFENSE TO OFFER A REBUTTAL OF THE CHARGES.

FAULSE OR TRUE IT DOESNT STOP PEOPLE LIKE YOU FROM REPORTING ON IT. I THOUGHT THIS WAS AMERICA, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO A MAN OR WOMAN HAVING A DAY IN COURT ?

probably shouldn't say anything but i'm having a busy fri at work and would like to see updates posted - if any - i have friends at penn nat too -

is anything that's going on going to affect tonight's card?

agree KK - the jury's still out -

thanks geo - quick search found this from local PA news
- KK - doesn't webb have a decent sized stable?

3 horse trainers, 1 track employee arrested at Penn National Race Course, accused of doping horses, reporting inaccurate times
Patriot Ledger
By Donald Gilliland

The United States Attorney’s Office has charged three thoroughbred horse trainers and an employee of Penn National Racetrack in Grantville with fraud in connection with horse races at the track.

According to United States Attorney Peter J. Smith: David Wells, 39, of Grantville; Sam Webb, 63, of Jonestown; Patricia Anne Rogers, 43, of Hummelstown; and Danny Robertson, 63, of Hershey, were charged individually in four separate indictments.

Indictments were returned by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg on Wednesday and were unsealed following arrests of four individuals earlier today.

According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wells, Webb and Rogers, all horse trainers, were charged with allegedly devising a scheme to defraud those betting on thoroughbred races at Penn National Racetrack by attempting to administer and administering substances prohibited from being introduced into a horse within 24 hours of when the horse is scheduled to race.

The indictment also alleges that it is also a violation of state law to rig or attempt to rig a publicly exhibited contest such as a thoroughbred horse race.

Races at Penn National Racetrack are simulcast to approximately 116 sites across the United States and in other countries by wire and television to allow bettors to wager on the Penn National races without being in attendance at that track.

This is the second time in recent years that criminal charges have been filed in a horse doping case at Penn National.

According to the press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office:

The indictment says the trainers, like the owners, stand to profit financially from the purse offered for that race if the horse that is entered finishes in first, second or third place.

The indictment charging Webb alleges that Webb was detected by track security personnel on May 2, 2013, in a stall at the racetrack in possession of hypodermic syringes, needles and bottles of medications preparing to inject the horse “Papaleo” that Webb trained and which was scheduled to run in the sixth race that day. The horse was scratched from the race by racing officials.

The indictment charging Rogers alleges that Rogers was caught by track security personnel on August 21, 2013, at a stall at the racetrack in possession of hypodermic syringes and needles and bottles of medications and was observed injecting or attempting to inject a substance into a horse named “Strong Resolve” that she trained and that was scheduled to run in the second race that day.

The horse was scratched from the race by racing officials. Rogers was also charged with conspiring with a person known to the grand jury to attempt to commit wire fraud.

The indictment charging Wells alleges that Wells, both a trainer and horse owner, for several years up to and including February 2012, would routinely inject prohibited substances into horses he trained and other horses he both trained and owned, by use of hypodermic syringes and needles and otherwise. It is also alleged that Wells was routinely in possession of those prohibited items at the racetrack in violation of state rules, regulations and laws.

According to the indictment, Robertson was employed by the track as the clocker to provide racing officials and others with the official workout times for horses at Penn National, information relied upon by the betting public.

The indictment charging Robertson alleges that Robertson was an employee of the racetrack, working in the capacity of clocker whose duties included being present when horses would have their official workout. Robertson was to verify that the horse being timed was the actual horse the trainer represented it to be, to accurately record the distance each horse ran, and the time it ran that distance in and then to provide that information to racing officials for inclusion in the official public daily racing program.


Robertson also allegedly sent the workout time information interstate by wire via computer to Equibase, a Kentucky based company that provides information on a racehorse’s past performance and workout times to media outlets and publications as well as on its own website. The workout time information is allegedly relied upon by the betting public in deciding which horses to wager on in any given race.

The Robertson indictment alleges that Robertson, in exchange for cash given to him by trainers known and unknown to the grand jury, would provide false workout times to racing officials and to Equibase.

The times Robertson turned in allegedly, at times, included completely fabricated time for horses that did not workout at all at the track. The indictment alleges Robertson profited personally from the scheme, the betting public was defrauded and Robertson’s employer, Hollywood Casino and Racetrack, was denied of its right to Robertson’s honest services.

The investigation which is continuing is being conducted by the Harrisburg office of the FBI, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Horse Racing Commission, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Dauphin County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Each defendant faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine if convicted of wire fraud or attempted wire fraud.

Each defendant faces an additional 5 years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine if convicted of using and attempting to use the intestate wire mechanism provided by the simulcasting of races to defraud or for attempting to defraud the public through the rigging of a publicly exhibited contest in violation of state law.

Rogers faces an additional potential 20 year term of imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine if convicted of the charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud.

Prosecution has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney William A. Behe.

The case has been assigned to Senior U.S. District Court Judge William W. Caldwell.

Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

KK chill out. An indictment only means there is reasonable grounds to hold a person for a trail. Any DA or the Federal Justice Dep't can indict a ham sandwich. There is no cross examination of any witness at these hearings. The panel only sees one side.

Tonight: Wells; 5 entered - all scratched - Don't know if oredered scratched.
Entry scratched R1
#1 SCR R2
#7 & #4 SCR R6
#9 SCR R8

Webb - 1 entered, scratched
#1 SCR R7

Rogers - nothing entered, She's only had 3 entries all year. Does anyone know anything about jher? Never heard of her!