Dr Seth Fishman, who was sentenced to 11 years after being convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit drug offenses and adulteration in the equestrian business, filed an appeal on July 22.
Mermaid was sentenced July 11 by Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil in federal district court in New York City. At his trial, Fishman did not call any witnesses or testify on his behalf after the jury heard strong evidence that the former veterinarian concocted performance-enhancing drugs and illegally distributed them for many years.
At the sentencing hearing, Fishman told Vyskocil, “I really have to apologize for what I did. There’s no excuse for my behavior.” Those claims can be used against him.
From more than two dozen people indicted on doping charges at the start of 2020, Fishman and his former assistant Lisa Giannelli were the only ones facing trial. Giannelli was found guilty on May 6 of one count of conspiracy and will be sentenced on September 8. Almost all of the others have pleaded guilty, but three of them, including the former coach Officer Jason Servis, still awaiting trial. Servis and New York-based veterinarian Alexander Chan will face a jury on January 9.
Fishman is the longest sentence to date among doping defendants. Former coach Jorge Navarro, who signed a plea agreement last year, is serving a five-year sentence.
Fishman was sent to federal custody after he was found guilty and spent more than five months there.
