Gerard Melancon arrested, accused of possessing an electrical device

Gerald Melancon, a journeyman rider with more than 5,000 wins, was arrested on Aug. 26 and faces a charge of “unnatural stimulation of horses” after allegedly being suspected of possessing a buzzer, according to The Paulick Report.

Melancon, 55, was released on $20,000 bond, according to the website. He was arrested after stewards at Evangeline Downs reported their suspicions to the St. Landry Parish sheriff’s office.

A warrant for Melancon’s arrest was issued based on an investigation conducted by the Louisiana State Police, a spokesman for the state police told Daily Racing Form in response to a Tuesday morning inquiry. He said the state police have offices at all of the tracks in Louisiana. The spokesman did not have information as to where the arrest was made, but said Melancon bonded out.

The spokesman said the charges in the case fall under clause “D” of a section of the law covering “unnatural stimulation of horses.” The clause reads as following:

:: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match and FREE Formulator PPs! Join DRF Bets.

“No person shall administer or apply or cause to be administered or applied to any horse which has been entered in any race, or have in his possession within the confines of a racetrack or racetrack stables, sheds, or buildings on racetrack grounds where horses are kept which are eligible to race over a racetrack of any racing association or licensee, any electric battery or other apparatus, which might have the effect of unnaturally depressing, stimulating, or exciting any horse during any race.”

If convicted, penalties can range from a fine of $1,000 to $5,000, imprisonment of one to five years, or both, according to the spokesman for the Louisiana State Police. He said he could not comment on details of the case. Daily Racing Form has placed a call for comment to Melancon.

The St. Landry police and the state racing commission are conducting separate investigations into the incident, according to The Paulick Report. Despite his arrest, Melancon rode on Aug. 27 at Evangeline Downs and Aug. 28 at Louisiana Downs, with two wins, two seconds, and a third from six mounts.

:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures

Charlie Gardiner, executive director of the Louisiana Racing Commission, told Daily Racing Form on Tuesday that there was no current ruling against Melancon in the state, and as such nothing that precludes him from riding. The Evangeline meet ended Saturday night.

Melancon has been riding since 1984, largely in his home state of Louisiana. Last year, he was a finalist for the Mike Venezia Award, an award given by the New York Racing Association to honor a rider “who exemplifies extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.”

Most recently, Melancon garnered headlines when he joined a lawsuit alleging that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority had violated federal rule-making procedures. The lawsuit also included as plaintiffs the states of Louisiana and West Virginia and The Jockeys’ Guild. Melancon was the only individual rider named as a plaintiff in the suit.

- additional reporting by Matt Hegarty