Chris Benoit's Ex-Physician, Phil Astin, Indicted Today On 175 Counts Of Illegal Prescription Abuse
Written by Richard Gray on May 29, 2008 - 7:49:54 PM

Dr. Phil Astin III, the former physician of Chris Benoit, was indicted today on 175 counts of illegal prescription abuse. This comes separate from the seven federal counts of overprescribing drugs to patients other than Benoit back in July 2007. Today's indictment adds 150 counts relating to 17 more patients.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that patients of Astin allegedly received illegal prescriptions for Percocet, Oxycontin, Demerol, Lorcet, Ritalin, Vicodin, Xanax, Adderall and Soma. The indictment also alleges the drugs Astin dispensed resulted in the death of a patient (which is believed to be Michael Durham a/k/a Johnny Grunge of the Public Enemy tag team).

Astin told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution back in October that he has already spent $50,000 in legal expenses and is now being represented by a public defender. He has been under house arrest for several months but was given an exemption in January so that he could work for Srickland's Towing Service in the Atlanta area. Astin was forced to surrender his medical license in July.

Authorities first learned of Astin after it was discovered that Chris Benoit had seen him only days before he killed his wife, his son, and eventually himself. Federal authorities believe that Astin prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to Benoit every three to four weeks between May 2006 and May 2007.