Richard Banca, who is among six persons charged in early 2020 with harness racing-related doping offenses, was sentenced in federal court Sept. 20 to serve 30 months in prison.
Banca, a former harness trainer, was convicted in April on a plea of guilty to one count of drug adulteration and misbranding.
Other details of the sentence, which were released to the public Sept. 21, include one year of supervised release following release from prison, a money judgment of $120,975.40, representing the value of forfeitable property, and a fine of $10,000 to be paid within 90 days. No restitution was ordered.
In his guilty plea, Banca admitted to crimes while he was training racehorses from at least 2015 to January 2020.
Banca was sentenced by Judge P. Kevin Castel in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Rene Allard, Thomas Guido III, and Richard Grasso, who were named in the same indictment as Banca, are scheduled to be sentenced at later dates. Donato Poliseno's sentencing status is unclear in online court records. All of them have entered guilty pleas.
Banca was ordered to surrender for incarceration on Jan. 10, 2023. Castel recommended the sentence be served at the Otisville, N.Y., federal medium-security prison "to facilitate family visitation."
Attorney Sarah Mortazavi handled the case for the U.S. Attorney's Office. David Cohen appeared as counsel for Banca.
