The fatal overdose of former 3 Doors Down guitarist Matt Roberts has led to the arrest of a doctor accused of illegally distributing drugs to the musician, law-enforcement sources said Tuesday.
According to West Bend, Wisconsin police, Fairhope, Alabama-based Dr. Richard Snellgrove was arrested on Nov. 16 and was indicted on Tuesday.
Roberts died at the Hampton Inn in West Bend in August, according to police. He had been visiting from Alabama, and was in town to play with a local band at a charity event. Roberts’ cause of death was determined to be an overdose related to prescription drugs. He was 38.
A press release issued by the U.S. attorney’s office in southern Alabama on Wednesday noted that Snellgrove had been indicted on six counts. Snellgrove allegedly provided five prescriptions to Roberts for methadone, hydrocodone, lorazepam and fentanyl.
“All five of these prescriptions were allegedly written outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose,” the U.S. attorney’s office said.
“It is disheartening when trusted professionals are engaged in the diversion of controlled substances,” DEA Special Agent Stephen G. Azzam added. “Doctors have an obligation to ensure that prescription medications are getting into the hands of legitimate patients. This investigation is the result of DEA’s continued commitment to hold accountable those who participate in illegally dispensing Controlled Substances in our communities.”
Roberts was an original member of 3 Doors Down when it formed in 1996. After almost two decades and nearly 20 million albums sold, Roberts and the multi-platinum band parted ways in 2012 due to his health concerns regarding blood circulation.
The band is best known for early 2000s hits like “Kryptonite” and “Here Without You.”