Embattled Pennsylvania HBPA Treasurer Missing

No matter how long a fan follows horse racing there’s always something that he’s never seen before. Good or bad–it’s a sport that is always full of surprises. That’s a perfect introduction to a strange situation now going on in the state of Pennsylvania where the treasurer of the Pennsylvania Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association at Hollywood Casino at Penn National racetrack has gone missing. That’s a nice way of saying that it looks for all the world like he’s ‘on the lam’.

It’s been a rough year or so for Penn National which has been the focus of a wide ranging investigation/strong arming by the Federal government. It’s more of a ‘fishing expedition’ than anything else but so far it’s resulted in indictments against several trainers, veterinarians, a clocker and a former racing office employee for wire fraud and race fixing. That’s unrelated to the situation described above, however.

Todd Carter, a 2009 graduate of the highly respected Racetrack Industry Program at the University of Arizona, had until recently been employed by the horsemen’s organization and based at the Penn National facility in Grantsville, Pennsylvania. In February, he was confronted with what are being described as ‘accounting irregularities’. He hasn’t been at work since and his current whereabouts are unknown. No one will say exactly what the situation is regarding Mr. Carter. He’s described as being ‘under investigation’ but the nature of the investigation or who is conducting it remains unclear. A statement released by the HBPA doesn’t shed any light on the subject: “We will continue to fully cooperate with state police, but due to the ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment.

Law enforcement is also tight lipped about what is going on. Sgt. Jonathan Kinsey of the Pennsylvania State Police admitted that “we are looking for him” but would not elaborate or verify that Carter is part of a criminal investigation. There has also been speculation that Carter left a note before disappearing but the Pennsylvania State Police would not confirm that either. A Penn National spokesperson also gave a ‘no comment’.