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Bethpage resident Gregory Settino, 58, was indicted this week and charged with the theft of medical products and making false statements to a federal agent.
Settino was the production supervisor of manufacturing at Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Shirley, which was renamed American Regent last January.
One of the products manufactured at Luitpold and American Regent was Adequan, an injectable equine drug administered to horses with degenerative joint disease and sold throughout the United States.
Between 2012 and January 2020, Settino allegedly stole thousands of bottles of Adequan from Luitpold and American Regent valued at more than $1 million, and sold those drugs to horse trainers and veterinarians at New York racetracks, including Belmont Park, for more than $600,000.
Federal prosecutors said that Settino’s conduct endangered the health of horses because the drugs were not maintained, stored or transported in accordance with proper procedures for ensuring the safety, effectiveness and efficacy of the drugs.
At times, Settino also allegedly transported the drugs in shoeboxes stored in his car. At all times, the drugs were handled in violation of the FDA regulated supply chain.
Settino doubled down on his scheme in January this year, when he falsely told an FDA special agent that he had stolen less than 100 bottles of Adequan from his employers.
“As alleged, Settino abused his supervisory position at a pharmaceuticals company to steal large quantities of equine drugs in order to enrich himself and without regard for how his sale of the medical products could potentially endanger the health of horses,” Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said.
“The defendant then allegedly compounded his criminal conduct by lying to an FDA Special Agent to minimize the scope of his thefts. Thanks to the combined efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FDA, this illicit pipeline of stolen drugs to vets and horse trainers has been shut down.”
If convicted, Settino faces up to 25 years in prison.
“The safety and effectiveness of veterinary drugs play a key role in maintaining the health of animals. When these drugs leave the legitimate supply chain, they can lose their effectiveness or become unsafe,” FDA-OCI Special Agent-in-Charge Jeffrey Ebersole added. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who endanger the health of animals.”
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