Trey Anastasio

22:58 New York 0 Comments

Trey Anastasio, 43, pleaded guilty in April to felony possession of painkillers without a prescription and agreed to enter a court-sponsored treatment program, thereby avoiding a much more serious dent in his touring schedule.
The former jam band frontman spent two days in an upstate New York jail last week after skipping a drug-counseling session, a violation of the terms of his plea agreement with Washington County's Drug Treatment Court.
The musician was originally facing seven counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, driving while intoxicated, misdemeanor heroin possession, possessing a painkiller belonging to someone else, and driving without a license.
A conviction on all charges could have netted him up to 14 years in prison. Instead, Anastasio's deal required him to make weekly court appearances for 12 months, perform community service and submit to random alcohol and drug testing.
His recent violation did not involve a drug test, only a missed counseling session, Assistant District Attorney Tony Jordan told the Glens Falls Post-Star.
Authorities characterized Anastasio's Jan. 16-18 stint behind bars in Washington County Jail as "uneventful." He remained part of the generation population.
The Junta purveyor was arrested Dec. 15, 2006, after police in Whitehall, New York, pulled him over for a traffic violation and, upon searching his car, found the painkillers hydrocodone and Percocet along with the anti-anxiety medication Xanax and a white powdery substance that turned out to be heroin.
At the time, Anastasio, who completed a 28-day stay at Eric Clapton's famed Crossroads Center in Antigua soon after his arrest, apologized for "any embarrassment I have caused my friends, family and fans."