Grey2K USA:Protecting Greyhounds Nationwide

ACTION ALERT - October 31, 2006

 


Race Fixing Scheme Uncovered at Alabama Dog Track - Letters Needed

Friends,

One of the largest race-fixing schemes in the history of the commercial dog racing industry has been exposed in Alabama.  Now we need your help to make sure that those who are involved are held responsible!

The race-fixing allegations first surfaced on September 19, when a tip from GREY2K USA led the Mobile Press-Register to report that District Attorney John Tyson was investigating allegations of cheating at Mobile Greyhound Park.

The Mobile Racing Commission, which is responsible for preventing illegal gambling at Mobile Greyhound Park, responded by dismissing the allegations.  Commission Chairman Eddie Menton called the accusations "far-fetched" and said he wanted the public to know that "it's safe to go to the dog track and bet."

Two weeks later, thirteen people were charged with felony counts of illegal gambling, and now face up to ten years in prison.  According to prosecutors, these individuals scammed at least $67,000 by drugging dogs and placing illegal bets on races in 2005 and 2006.

In a guest column on Sunday in the Mobile Press-Register, GREY2K USA executive director Carey Theil pointed out that this scheme apparently was able to operate at Mobile Greyhound Park for at least two years right under the noses of Mobile Racing Commission regulators.   He called on Governor Bob Riley to launch an independent investigation to find out how this regulatory failure could have occurred.  You will find a copy of this guest column below.

Please send a letter to Governor Bob Riley today and ask him to launch an independent investigation of the Mobile Racing Commission.

  Tell him that we need track regulators who will take their jobs seriously, and work for the taxpayers instead of track owners.

You can reach Governor Riley at:

Alabama Governor Bob Riley
State Capitol
600 Dexter Ave. Montgomery, AL 36130
334-353-0004 (fax)
E-mail Governor Bob Riley

Below, you will find a sample letter to use as a guide in writing your own letter.  Please write your letter to Governor Riley today!

 

 

For the greyhounds,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carey Theil & Christine Dorchak
GREY2K USA
PO Box 442117

Somerville, MA 02144
(866) 247-3925

www.grey2kusa.org

info@grey2kusa.org




Sample Letter to Governor Bob Riley

NOTE: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS SAMPLE LETTER NOT BE COPIED WORD FOR WORD; PLEASE SUBMIT A LETTER WITH YOUR OWN THOUGHTS.

Governor Bob Riley

State Capitol

600 Dexter Ave.

Montgomery, AL 36130

Dear Governor Riley:

I am writing to ask that you launch an independent investigation of the Mobile Racing Commission.

We need state agencies that protect taxpayers, not track owners.  It is incredible that a vast race-fixing scheme apparently was able to operate at Mobile Greyhound Park for at least two years without being detected.  If the Mobile Racing Commission did not know about this criminal activity, they should have.

Also, I am very troubled by statements made by Racing Commission chairman Eddie Menton after newspapers reported that an investigation was underway.  Specifically, he called the allegations "far-fetched."  How can taxpayers trust our elected officials when they act like this?

Please launch an investigation right away to find out how this illegal activity could have gone on for so long without being detected by the Mobile Racing Commission.  Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Respectfully,

Christine A. Dorchak



Investigate the Racing Commission

Sunday, October 29, 2006

 

By CAREY THEIL

Special to the Press-Register

 

A few weeks ago, when rumors surfaced that District Attorney John Tyson Jr. was looking into allegations of "race fixing" at Mobile Greyhound Park, Racing Commission chairman Eddie Menton tried to put everyone's mind at ease.

 

Calling the allegations "farfetched," Menton reassured gamblers, telling them, "We want people to know that it's safe to go to the dog track and bet."

 

The next day, retired commission veterinarian Clarke Yarbrough claimed that it would be extremely difficult to fix races at Mobile Greyhound Park, and his rationale seemed to make sense.

 

"Once they catch one of them and fine them, they lose more money than it's worth," he told the Press-Register. "You don't see a whole lot of that anymore."

 

Chairman Menton went even further, telling a reporter he was "certain" that the commission's drug-testing programs were effective.

 

Then the other shoe dropped.

 

On Oct. 20, the district attorney announced that 13 people had been charged with felony counts of transmission of racing information for illegal gambling -- charges that carry maximum 10-year prison sentences.

 

Three of the 13 individuals were also charged with felony counts of tampering with racing animals.

 

According to prosecutors, racetrack employees and gamblers scammed at least $67,000 over two years by drugging dogs and placing large bets on those races.

 

It now appears that a vast race-fixing scheme operated for at least two years right under the noses of racetrack regulators. And when the district attorney began to investigate those responsible for this scam, the same track regulators cast doubt on the allegations.

 

How could this have happened?

 

It is hard to believe that commission executives thought the odds of race fixing were so remote. All they had to do was check with other regulatory agencies.

 

According to public records, in 2002 authorities from the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigated allegations that a greyhound trainer was receiving anabolic steroids by mail.

 

After placing an undercover surveillance camera in the kennel where the trainer worked, law enforcement agents caught him injecting at least 11 dogs with a foreign substance over a two-day period.

 

In another case, 119 dogs tested positive for cocaine at Florida dog tracks between 2001 and 2003, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

 

Since 2003, dogs have tested positive for cocaine at commercial racetracks in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Colorado.

 

As long as commercial dog tracks are dependent on gambling revenues, there will be individuals who seek to bend the rules for personal gain.

 

If we are going to allow this form of animal-based gambling to be legal in our communities, it is imperative that we have regulatory agencies that actively work to prevent such abuses.

 

It is time for members of the Racing Commission to step up and take responsibility for their failure to adequately monitor Mobile Greyhound Park.

 

Further, to ensure that the integrity of wagers is protected at Alabama racetracks, Gov. Bob Riley should call for an independent investigation to determine how this regulatory failure could have occurred.

 

The public deserves to know why the commission didn't discover this illegal gambling scheme sooner, and why it cast doubt on race fixing allegations when they were finally discovered.

 

A cloud now hangs over the Mobile Racing Commission. Until taxpayers get answers, the commission will lack credibility.

 

 



Know someone who cares about greyhounds as much as you do and wants to make a difference? Please forward this update to them. You can also encourage friends to join our e-mail list by sending their e-mail address to joinlist@grey2kusa.org.

Thank you for your continuing commitment to protect greyhounds.

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GREY2K USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to protecting greyhounds and ending the killing and cruelty of dog racing. For more information, or to make an immediate financial contribution to our efforts, go to

www.grey2kusa.org.

GREY2K USA is a national, non-profit 501(c)4 organization. Personal and corporate contributions are acceptable, and there are no limits on how much one individual can contribute. Personal and corporate contributions are acceptable. Because GREY2K USA actively lobbies for greyhound protection, contributions are not tax deductible.

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GREY2K USA - PROTECTING GREYHOUNDS NATIONWIDE