By: Paulick Report Staff
The Dauphin County district attorney in Pennsylvania charged a sixth man with rigging a publicly exhibited contest when former trainer Timothy M. Hooper was named in connection with the long-running investigation into corruption and prohibited medication practices at Penn National racetrack in Grantville.
Hooper, 49, whose last start as a trainer came in March 2017, was charged with seven counts of rigging a publicly exhibited contest. All seven offenses were dated Nov. 1, 2013, in the court docket filed Oct. 31. The investigation by the FBI, state officials and the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission at Penn National discovered numerous trainers were having therapeutic medication administered to horses within 24 hours of a race, a violation of state racing regulations. Veterinarians who pleaded guilty in the case have cooperated with prosecutors, telling them they routinely altered treatment records to cover up the violations.
Rigging a publicly exhibited contest is a first-degree misdemeanor.
Hooper is charged with violating Chapter 41, Section 4109/A1 of Pennsylvania law:
Rigging publicly exhibited contest.
(a) Offense defined.–A person commits a misdemeanor of the first degree if, with intent to prevent a publicly exhibited contest from being conducted in accordance with the rules and usages purporting to govern it, he:
(1) confers or offers or agrees to confer any benefit upon, or threatens any injury to a participant, official or other person associated with the contest or exhibition.
Trainers George R. “Rusty” Albright, John D. Conner, Bruce Kravets, Brandon L. Kulp and Robert J. Oliva were previously charged with the same offense.
Hooper is scheduled for an Nov. 29 preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Lowell A. Witmer.
