Beyond Benoit: More Wrestlers Tied to Doc
Document shows that investigators took medical records for at least 6 wrestlers.
July 12, 2007 — -- At least six professional wrestlers -- including Chris Benoit, former champion Lex Luger and popular current star Rey Mysterio -- have been implicated in the federal government's probe of a Georgia doctor who already has been indicted for improperly prescribing pain killers and other drugs and who may face additional charges.
A search warrant document dated June 27 and obtained by the Fox News affiliate in Atlanta identifies several wrestlers by name whose medical records were seized as part of a Drug Enforcement Agency raid of Dr. Phil Astin's Carrolton, Ga., office.
In addition to Benoit, who police say killed his wife and young son before hanging himself during the weekend of June 22, the TV station reported that investigators seized the records of Oscar Gutierrez -- the real name of wrestler Rey Mysterio -- and Mark Jindrak.
The original indictment against Astin charges the doctor with seven counts of writing prescriptions improperly in 2004 and 2005 to two patients identified only by the initials O.G. and M.J.
A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office would not identify the two patients in the indictment when asked by ABC News earlier this week, but Fox reported that it had confirmation from investigators that the initialed patients do, in fact, refer to Gutierrez and Jindrak.
Mysterio, a mask-wearing, Mexican-born wrestler, has held numerous championship belts, including World Wrestling Entertainment's heavyweight championship belt. He was one of the wrestlers named in a 2006 Sports Illustrated story for receiving illegal steroids prescriptions.
Jindrak, now wrestling overseas, spent four years as a WWE player.
Also listed on the Astin search warrant document, according to Fox News, is the name Lawrence Pfohl, the real name of former wrestler Lex Luger, a Georgia resident who rose to championship status in the 1990s but has since faced a string of personal and legal setbacks.
In May 2003, his girlfriend died after ingesting a mix of narcotics -- including anabolic steroids -- and alcohol. Luger would later plead guilty to a series of drug charges connected to a search of the couple's home.
Other professional wrestlers, including Marcus "Buff" Bagwell and Robert Howard, known as Bob Holly, are also named on the search warrant document, according to Fox News.
The federal agents search and seizure of Astin's office follows the discovery of Benoit and his family dead in their home. Authorities in Georgia have not yet released toxicology reports for the Benoit family. Anabolic steroids, as well as other prescription drugs, were found during a search of the Benoit's Fayetteville, Ga., home.
Federal prosecutors allege Astin prescribed Benoit on average "a 10-month supply of anabolic steroids to Mr. Benoit every three to four weeks" from May 2006 to May 2007.
Benoit met with Astin Friday, June 22, the day the alleged double murder-suicide began.
Federal prosecutors submitted a court filing late Tuesday indicating that Astin's case will be presented to a grand jury for a second time after further review of documents and computer records seized by federal drug agents.
Manny Arora, Astin's lawyer, said earlier this week that Astin currently has no plans to change his plea to guilty, but he wouldn't rule out the shift as a possibility.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.