Trio Used Fake Names To Keep Anna Nicole Smith Drugged, Alleges Prosecutor
Aug. 4 2010, Published 2:58 p.m. ET
The Anna Nicole Smith drug trial is off to a bombshell start, as a prosecutor told jurors during opening statements Wednesday that the reality TV star's former attorney/companion Howard K. Stern and two doctors went to great lengths to provide her with a host of prescription medications.
The case is "about three people who funneled powerful addictive medications'' to Smith, Deputy District Attorney Renee Rose told jurors in her opening statement of the trio's trial in Los Angeles Wednesday morning.
Rose said the three used multiple aliases to obtain the drugs, and even gave her drugs after she completed a detox program while pregnant.
As RadarOnline.com has previously reported, Stern, as well as Dr. Sandeep Kapoor and Dr. Khristine Eroshevich are accused of conspiring to prescribe, administer and dispense controlled substances to an addict from June 2004 until Feb. 8, 2007 -- the day died from an accidental prescription drug overdose in a hotel room in Hollywood, Florida. She was 39.
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Rose told jurors the doctors would use multiple fake patient names to get their hands on various prescription drugs for Smith. She told jurors that Eroshevich was Smith's next-door neighbor and would "prescribe medication without a legitimate purpose.''
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW: Larry Says It's "Tough" Discussing Anna Nicole
She added that the physician then continued prescribing Smith Dialaudid and benzodiazepenes.
In April 2006, when Smith was pregnant with her daughter Danielynn, she went through a detox program, but Stern and Kapoor were still working to obtain drugs for her, Rose told the six-man, six-woman jury.
When Smith finished from the program, Kapoor quickly put her back on the same level of prescription medications she was on prior to entering detox, she alleged, adding that Kapoor wrote prescriptions even though he hadn't seen Smith for months.
Stern, 41, is charged with 11 felony counts, including prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict, obtaining a prescription for opiates by deceit, fraud or misrepresentation and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Eroshevich, a 61-year-old psychiatrist, and Kapoor, a 41-year-old doctor who specializes in internal and geriatric medicine, are each charged with six felony counts, including unlawfully prescribing a controlled substance, prescribing, administering or dispensing a controlled substance to an addict and conspiracy to commit a crime.
Stern, Kapoor and Eroshevich are not charged with causing Smith's death.
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Opening statements by defense attorneys began late Wednesday morning and were expected to continue into the afternoon.
