#LI man busted for stealing horse drugs to sell at race tracks: feds

The 152nd running of the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Charles Wenzelberg / NY Post

Federal authorities on Thursday reined in a Long Island pharmaceutical company employee who allegedly swiped hundreds of thousands of dollars in horse drugs from his work — and then sold them directly to veterinarians and trainers.

Gregory Settino, 58, was arrested on an indictment charging him with swiping the equine medication and pawning it at New York race tracks, including Belmont Park, authorities said.

The Bethpage man allegedly mounted the plot “in order to enrich himself and without regard for how his sale of the medical products could potentially endanger the health of horses,” acting US Attorney Seth D. DuCharme said in a statement.

From 2012 to January of this year, Settino was the production supervisor of manufacturing at the Suffolk County pharmaceutical company Luitpold, which is now named American Regent.

During that time, he allegedly stole thousands of bottles of Adequan, an injectable equine drug administered to horses with degenerative joint disease, according to a criminal indictment unsealed Thursday in the Eastern District of New York.

The medication was valued at more than $1 million, authorities said.

Settino then allegedly pocketed more than $600,0000 from hocking the drugs to vets and trainers, according to the indictment.

When questioned on Jan. 23, Settino tried to play an FDA Special Agent for a “foal” — claiming he’d taken fewer than 100 bottles of Adequan, the court docs allege.

The indictment charges Settino with theft of medical products and making a false statement to a federal agent. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison.

Settino entered a plea of not-guilty at his virtual arraignment before Judge Arlene R. Lindsay on Thursday — and hoofed it after ponying up a $250,000 bond.

“Mr. Settino denies the allegations against him and looks forward to a favorable resolution on the merits of the case in the future,” his attorney, Anthony Grandinette, told The Post.