JDG: Rossis Indicted, Banned From Racing During Investigation

In custody since Tuesday morning, Charley Rossi and his wife Jessica Marcialis; Rossi's brother, Cedric; and their uncle Frederic Rossi, were brought before the investigating judge in Aix-en-Provence, France, Thursday, along with the manager of Frederic Rossi's stable and a veterinarian. The six were indicted and placed under judicial control, according to the Jour de Galop. They emerged from the court Thursday around 4 p.m., and have been forbidden to participate in racing, or to be on the grounds of a racetrack or training center during the indictment, according to a press release from the public prosecutor.

The JDG reported that the indictment for this type of charge could last as long as a year while the investigation continues, and said that in total, the three had approximately 200 horses in training at their Calas training center in Marseille.

The paper ran the following statement from the prosecutor's office: “Following a tip, a preliminary investigation for equine doping and fraud committed by an organized group was handed over to the Service Central des Courses et Jeux (SCCJ) (the central service of racing and gaming), a specialized service of the judicial police in the Aix-en-Provence prosecutors office. The first investigations have allowed them to confirm the information described, including several racehorse trainers and veterinarians. On September 10, 2021, the public prosecutor's office in Aix-en-Provence opened a judicial investigation into the leaders of the group, (who were) administering to the horses substances of a nature to artificially modify their capabilities. The investigation led by the rogatory commission from the racing and gaming police have revealed numerous facts of equine doping and the manipulation of racing as part of a concerted organization. This concerns a large group of around 30 races. An operation carried out in several locations allowed the SCCJ, aided by the South Judicial Police and veterinarians from the national horse racing federation to question a dozen people. This gave rise to the seizure of 10 racehorses as well as funds from the bank accounts of the people in question. At the end of their custody, the examining magistrate in charge of the investigations had decided to refer six people. In accordance with the requirements of prosecution, they were indicted and placed under judicial review, and are forbidden from being present on racetracks and training centers and from exercising any profession related to horse racing.”

The JDG quoted “numerous sources” which reported the “no molecule” of any new or illegal doping agents had been found.