ATLANTA – A doctor for a pro wrestler who killed his family and himself wants a judge to ease his bail conditions so he can work while fighting charges of overprescribing medication.
Dr. Phil Astin said in a court filing last week that he needs to leave his house to earn money. Astin filed for bankruptcy Oct. 1, three months after he was charged over prescriptions he gave two patients.
Astin, who is under house arrest, asked a judge for permission to leave his home during working hours. The court filing did not say what kind of work Astin plans to do, but noted that he has already voluntarily relinquished his medical license.
A judge had not ruled on the request or set a hearing on the request as of Monday.
The charges against Astin grew out of a probe of wrestler Chris Benoit's killing of his 7-year-old son, his wife and himself at their suburban Atlanta home in June. Suspicions linking steroid use to the killings have lingered, since anabolic steroids were found in Benoit's home and tests showed Benoit had roughly 10 times the normal level of testosterone in his system.
Authorities have said Astin prescribed a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to Benoit every three to four weeks for a year leading up to the killings. Astin faces no charges related to those prescriptions, however, and neither of the patients referred to in the indictment is Benoit. Authorities have said more charges are possible.
Astin faces up to 20 years in prison on each of seven counts if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox