Updated 7/3/2007 10:24:44 AM
The personal doctor of pro wrestler Chris Benoit is expected to be released from federal custody Tuesday after being charged with seven counts of distributing controlled substances without a legitimate medical purpose. (Click here for indictment details.)
Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration raided Dr. Phil Astin's office in Carrolton on Friday for the second time. Agents carried out boxes of medical records and file cabinets. Agents also used a second search warrant to get inside the house of Dr. Astin's mother, which is located near his office. While agents would not say exactly what they were looking for, investigators in Fayette County said they discovered anabolic steroids inside Benoit's house.
Over the course of three days, investigators said the popular professional wrestler murdered his wife and the couple's 7-year-old son before killing himself. Investigators are trying to determine whether the anabolic steroids played a role in last month's murder-suicides. Steroid use has been linked to depression and violence.
11Alive's Jon Shirek was at the courthouse when the indictment was handed down. Dr. Phil Astin was indicted on seven counts of Distributing a Controlled Substance for Other Than a Legitimate Medical Reason.
Each indictment covered a different occasion in 2004 and 2005:
Dr. Astin allegedly gave hundreds of pills of each medication to both M.J. and O.G.
It was not known when the indictments were handed down if they were directly related to the Benoit case, nor was it known if M.J. or O.G. were aliases of/or references to Benoit.
The authorities planned to continue searching the records in an attempt to discover if either name was related to Benoit or if they related to other patients of Astin's. Even if these seven indictments do not link to Benoit, authorities will continue with their prosecution of Astin to stop him from committing his alleged crime in the future.
Astin pleaded not guilty to all seven counts against him in an appearance in front of a federal magistrate on Monday afternoon.
At the request of Astin's attorney, Manny Arora, Judge Linda Walker lowered Astin's to $125,000.
"Dr. Astin was identified as prescribing, on average, a ten month supply of anabolic steroids to Mr. Benoit every three to four weeks from May 4, 2006 through May 9, 2007," said U.S. Attorney David Nahmias. "Dr. Astin allegedly prescribed these drugs like candy, without regard for appropriate medical practice, or the recipient's health. Dirty doctors should be on notice, that they face federal prosecution and federal prison time."
Astin's attorney, Manny Arora said the doctor was upset over the indictment.
"He?s obviously a little upset," Arora said. "This came out of nowhere. Allegations have been made against him that compare him to some kind of street-level drug dealer, which is ridiculous. He is a doctor. We're going to fight the charges, and it is going to come down to medical experts, whether the prescriptions he wrote are based on the need of the patient."
But, as Nahmias pointed out, Astin has not been charged yet with any crime regarding the steroids he supplied to Benoit. Additional federal charges may be filed against Astin.
Astin Well-Known in Carrollton Community
There were three domestic violence reports filed against Astin between 2003 and February 2007.
On February 12, Dr. Astin was charged with the assault and battery of his wife. Two years ago, his wife accused him of putting her in a headlock, and throwing her to the ground. The incidents happened at a house on Austin Avenue in Carrollton, which is where Astin's wife lived.
Until recently, Dr. Astin lived with his mother at a house on Cedar Street in Carrollton, which was raided by DEA agents.
Long before his connection to the Chris Benoit tragedy, Dr. Astin was well known in the Carrollton community.
"I've known him," said Carrollton resident Henry C. Head. "He and his father and his brother. They're good folks, as far as I know."
Head said that many residents of Carrollton came to Astin and trusted him as their family physician.
