Tampa Bay Jockey Indicted

A Florida jockey and two others have been indicted for what federal authorities say was a conspiracy to influence results at a Tampa Bay Downs.

A federal grand jury indicted Ricardo Alfredo Valdes of Ocala, Fla., and two Michigan men May 6 on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit sports bribery.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit says Ghazi Manni and Mitchell Edward Karam paid Valdes and other jockeys in order to gather inside information at Tampa Bay Downs.

The case also involves races at tracks in Delaware and Michigan.

Karam's attorney said he's innocent and Manni's attorney said he's presumed innocent and the case will play out in court. An attorney for Valdes said he hadn't yet heard about the indictment.