Richard Banca pleads guilty in doping case

T. D. Thornton of the Thoroughbred Daily News reports that harness racing trainer Richard Banca pled guilty to one felony count Apr. 19 in the ongoing federal racehorse doping conspiracy case.

According to court documents filed electronically in United States District Court (Southern District of New York), “From at least in or about 2015 through at least in or about January 2020…Richard Banca, the defendant, with the intent to defraud and mislead, in interstate commerce, adulterated and misbranded drugs, and caused the adulteration and misbranding of drugs in interstate commerce…

“Banca misled and deceived state and federal regulators with respect to the distribution, purchase, and receipt of various misbranded and adulterated performance enhancing drugs, and the use of such misbranded and adulterated drugs to improve the performance of racehorses under Banca’s and others’ custody and care.”

No sentencing date was listed in the court documents. A money judgment was assessed against Banca in the amount of $120,975, representing the value of the drugs in his case.

(Reprinted with permission from the Thoroughbred Daily News)