Motion to suppress wiretap evidence in Jason Servis case denied by judge

A motion to suppress wiretap evidence in the federal case against US trainer Jason Servis and others for alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs has been denied by district judge Mary Kay Vyskocil.

Attempts to withhold multiple intercepted phone conversations among defendants in 2019 had already been withdrawn by Jordan Fishman, a manufacturer of performance-enhancing drugs [PED], as well as trainers Marcos Zulueta and Christopher Oakes, who all pleaded guilty for their roles in manufacturing, distributing, or using unadulterated drugs to enhance racehorse performance.

Servis and others filed the motion to suppress wiretaps in August, arguing that FBI agents made "material misrepresentations" to judges when seeking authorisation for the wiretaps and had not exhausted "normal investigative procedures" before authorisation.

The trainer, one of 20-plus defendants in the case, was arrested in dawn raids carried out by the FBI in March 2020 after an undercover investigation, including the use of wiretaps. He is set to appear in court on December 2 and has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Maximum Security: narrowly denied Midnight Bisou in Riyadh in 2020Credit: Edward Whitaker

His indictment had major implications for the inaugural Saudi Cup in 2020. Servis won the $20 million race with Maximum Security but connections of the winner have not been paid any prize-money due to a continuing inquiry by the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA).

Tom Ryan, director of strategy and international racing for the JCSA, addressed the issue during the launch of the 2022 Saudi Cup. He said: "We've been quite regular in our commentary on this one. We've updated people any time we've felt we have had a reason to.

"We continue to await the outcome of the legal process in America. It's unfortunate everyone has to wait this long, but we've been unable to continue with our investigation until evidence we believe may be available there comes into our hands.

"We've taken every opportunity to conclude it as best we can but we now must be a little bit more patient and wait for the American process to conclude."

Trainer Jorge Navarro pleaded guilty to doping offences in August and is awaiting sentence and could serve up to five years and be ordered to pay back more than $25 million to victims of his crimes.

Asked then by Vyskocil whether he provided illegal PEDs to any other trainers, Navarro said: "I provided bronchodilators to Jason Servis."

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