Shaun Richards
Naushaun “Shaun” Richards joins the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit (HIWU) after 23 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). As HIWU’s director of intelligence & strategy, Richards focuses on long-range investigations, which rely heavily on real-time intelligence, strategy, sophisticated investigative techniques, and data analysis to identify and prosecute potential significant violations of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program. He may also liaise with federal, state, and local law enforcement as it relates to possible criminal violations.
Richards was most recently a supervisory special agent as part of the FBI’s Eurasian Organized Crime Task Force while based out of their New York office. In this role, he led a multi-agency team of 25 employees tasked with investigating Eurasian organized crime activities. Among his accomplishments was initiating and directing the criminal investigation involving the widespread misbranding of drugs, doping of racehorses, and international money laundering. The evidence gathered resulted in more than 30 indictments, including leading trainers Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis.
While with the FBI, Richards also directed a $100 million health care fraud investigation, which was the largest in U.S. history at the time of takedown. Furthermore, he arrested two individuals identified as a “thief in law,” the Russian equivalent to a “godfather” in traditional organized crime. Only three have been arrested in U.S. history.
Richards received a Bachelor of Science in accounting and a Master of Accountancy with a tax emphasis from Kansas State University.