3 Charged In Anna Nicole Smith Drug Abuse

Ex-Boyfriend/Lawyer, 2 Doctors Face Charges Of Providing Way Too Many Pharmaceuticals

(CBS/ AP)  Anna Nicole Smith's boyfriend, Howard K. Stern, and two doctors were charged Thursday with giving thousands of prescription drugs to the former Playboy Playmate in the years leading up to her fatal drug overdose in 2007.

Stern and doctors Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich were each charged with three felony counts of conspiracy and several other charges of fraudulent prescriptions. Prosecutors said the doctors gave the drugs - including opiates and sedatives - to Stern, who then gave them to Smith.

The prescriptions were issued between June 2004 and January 2007, just weeks before Smith's death.

"These individuals repeatedly and excessively furnished thousands of prescription pills to Anna Nicole Smith, often for no legitimate medical purpose," California Attorney General Jerry Brown said in a statement.

Brown's spokesman, Scott Gerber, told The Associated Press that Stern and Kapoor surrendered Thursday night and posted $20,000 bond, and that Eroshevich will surrender Monday. An arraignment date was not set.

On The Early Show Friday, "Entertainment Tonight" co-anchor Mark Steines, the last reporter to interview Stern and Smith before Smith died, reported that an ET senior producer talked to Stern immediatly after Stern posted bond, and the producer said Stern is devastated by the charges and plans to fight them.

The medical examiner's office has said Eroshevich, a Los Angeles psychiatrist and friend of the starlet's, authorized all the prescription medications found in the Hollywood, Fla., hotel room where the 39-year-old Smith was found unresponsive shortly before her death in Feb. 8, 2007.

Eroshevich's attorney Adam Braun acknowledged his client wrote some of the prescriptions using fictitious names for Smith, but it wasn't intended to commit fraud.

"It was done for privacy reasons," Braun told the AP.

"She did the best she could under difficult circumstances in the best interest of the patient."

Braun said Eroshevich began treating Smith following the death of the playmate's son in September 2006. The doctor traveled on several occasions over a six-month period to the Bahamas where Smith was living with Stern and wrote the prescriptions.

The criminal complaint also alleges Kapoor wrote prescriptions for Smith under a patient alias Michelle Chase. Prosecutors allege the doctor gave her excessive amounts of sleep aids, opiates, muscle relaxants and methadone-like drugs used to treat addiction, knowing she was an addict.

Messages left with Kapoor's attorney were not immediately returned.

Brown said Eroshevich and Kapoor "violated their ethical obligations as physicians, while Mr. Stern funneled highly addictive drugs to Ms. Smith."

The criminal complaint includes eight other felony charges, including obtaining fraudulent prescriptions and unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance. In all, Stern faces six felonies and the doctors each are charged with seven. Prosecutors did not immediately know how many years in prison they faced if convicted.

Rumors swirled for weeks after Smith's death, but police cleared those around Smith of any wrongdoing and the medical examiner's probe deemed it an accidental overdose.

Because the Playmate was found unresponsive in a hotel on American Indian land, the case was handled by tribal police and their exemption from public records laws kept most of the investigation from being made public.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press after Smith's death showed Ehrosevich authorized all 11 prescription medications found in the model's hotel room the day she died. Most of the drugs were prescribed in the name of Stern, her lawyer-turned-companion, and none were prescribed in Smith's own name.

The quantity was staggering. More than 600 pills - including about 450 muscle relaxants - were missing from prescriptions that were no more than five weeks old. Ultimately, it was a syrup - the powerful sleeping aid chloral hydrate - blamed with tipping the balance in the toxic mix of drugs and causing her death.

Stern, who initially claimed he was the father of Smith's infant daughter, Dannielynn, appeared distraught as he spoke last year at a memorial marking the one-year anniversary of Smith's death.

"Few people who knew Anna might not realize how smart she actually was because unless she wanted you to know you didn't know," Stern said.

Stern, who came to the Bahamas with Smith during her pregnancy in 2006, gave up custody last spring of Dannielynn after DNA tests proved Larry Birkhead was the father.

Dannielynn has been named the sole heir of her late mother's estate, with Birkhead and Stern as co-trustees. Dannielynn could inherit millions of dollars if the estate wins an ongoing court fight over the oil fortune of Anna Nicole's late second husband, J. Howard Marshall.

[AllNaz]

Thanks to Los Angeles County office to start making justice on this case. Always and all the time I declare that Anna and his son Daniel are innocent. I'm a former driver of Anna Nicole when I work for TRIMSPA in 2004. Someday everybody will understand what really happen to Anna and will discover who is really Howard K. Stern. I have long time that I don't see him. My only concern is what about Daniel, his son. That was the first target, due a majority age (18) was aproaching and Howard can't continue control Anna.... We will see again soon.

[keithle1]

After she started taking that diet pill (80% heroin, 10% sugar, 10% caffeine), she looked good. Back when she was appearing in court to get as much of the old geezer's (dearly departed husband) money that she could get her well-manicured hands on. Did anyone really think girlfriend was going to live to be a ripe old age? Amazing how far you can go in the USA with a big pair of breasts.

[credibility2]

Stern and the other two kept Smith drug addicted merely to take advantage of her. They should be charged also with involuntary manslaughter. Stern probably served a drug overdosed cocktail to Smith's son the night he died as well. Stern was slowly trying to eliminate all of the obstacles so he could get his talons into the money prey.

[CMancos]

What is the real story here? The real story here is not to throw your life away because you have become a slave to narcotics and the wolves that circle you. She made sure she got herself a good chunck of cash but what good did it do her? I wonder what helped her son adopted the drug life-style. Could it be being around his drug addicted mother all his life and what guilt must she have felt knowing she was a big part of the cause of his addiction. It's called Wrong Road syndrom and many have it and will end up the same way. There is a way that seems right to men but the end thereof is death.

[honestabe8]

if drugs were legal..those 2 mugs would had been some top executive..brainstorming on how to spread more drugs to our kids...
Posted by GODSnLIBERALS

IF drugs were legal? Do you think for a second that pushers of tobacco and alcohol aren't aiming at people's kids. MAYBE not for immediate sale, but to establish a brand preference?

[aeasus]

It didn't take a crystal ball to see through this plot. I wonder who will get the movie rights?

[dg441-2009]

Must be a slow day at CBS.com....Anna Nicole...Briston Palin....Who cares????

[start99]

This came out in the investigation.....its sad that greed drove these guys to do what they did. Send em to visit Madoff....long over due!!!

[cosmicfluke]

I always believed that Stern manipulated this woman into an overdose, slowly and over a long time, encouraging and enabling her addictions while he wormed his way into her finances. The guy is a snake, IMO.

[hologram5]

wow, let it go people. Let the dead remain dead.