TZM Reports Benoit's Dr Has History Of Shady Practices

Benoit's Doc Has History of Shady Prescription Practices
Posted Jun 28th 2007 3:24PM by TMZ Staff

Filed under: Celebrity Justice

TMZ has learned that the personal physician who saw Chris Benoit just hours before the wrestler killed his wife and son once had his medical license suspended for "repeatedly prescribing several controlled substances to patients in excessive quantities or for excessive periods of time and prescribing for other than legitimate purposes."

According to records from the Georgia State Board of Medical Examiners, Phil Carroll Astin was found guilty of engaging in "unprofessional conduct" in 1992 by overprescribing a plethora of pills including amphetamines, antidepressants, tranquilizers and narcotics to various patients. Chris Benoit was not among those mentioned in the case.

As a result, the medical board suspended Astin's license for 30 days, put him on 5 years probation and fined him $2000. Astin was reinstated in 1997, following the completion of his sentence.

Astin's offices were located in Carrollton, Georgia — a small college town about 50 miles from Benoit's home.

TMZ has also obtained Medical Board records which show that Dr. Astin was suspended again in 2001 for "reasons related to competence or character."

Early Thursday morning, authorities raided Dr. Astin's office in connection with Benoit investigation. Officials claim they seized medical records, but no arrests were made. According to the AP, Astin has admitted to prescribing testosterone to Benoit in the past, but has not commented on what, if anything, he prescribed to the wrestler on Friday.

Calls to Dr. Astin were not immediately returned