According to DesMoinesRegister.com, a Des Moines physician has been charged with eight counts of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly prescribing large amounts of narcotic painkillers to patients who later died of overdoses, including Slipknot bassist Paul Gray.

Daniel Baldi, who helped run an Iowa Health System pain clinic, is accused of unintentionally causing the death of Paul Gray by writing "high-dose prescription narcotics to a known drug addict" starting on December 27, 2005, according to charging documents released at the doctor's court hearing today.

The doctor's lawyer, Guy Cook, told DesMoinesRegister.com his client plans to vigorously fight the charges.

"It is unprecedented to turn unfortunate deaths or medical results into a crime against a doctor," the lawyer said. "Unexpected deaths can occur in severe, chronic pain patients, unrelated to medical treatment. This is especially true with patients who are drug addicts or drug abusers."

Gray passed away more than two years ago from an accidental overdose of drugs, leaving behind his wife Brenna and daughter October.