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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 6:02 p.m., Thursday, March 29, 2007

Honolulu doctor indicted in illegal prescriptions case

By KEN KOBAYASHI
Advertiser Courts Writer

Honolulu doctor Barry Odegaard was indicted by a federal grand jury this afternoon on charges of providing drugs that resulted in the deaths of two people in 2003 and 2004.

Odegaard was indicted last year on 15 felony counts of illegally prescribing the painkiller Oxycodone and Medicaid fraud as a result of an investigation that included Drug Administration Enforcement agents posing as patients.

The grand jury today added two counts that he provided 2,700 milligrams of Oxycodone on May 5, 2003, that resulted in a death three days later and 1,400 milligrams of methadone on July 23, 2004, that resulted in a death the following day.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Loo said he could not disclose who died or the circumstances because it was not contained in the indictment, but it is believed that the two who died were not undercover agents.

The two counts each carry sentences of 20 years to life in prison.

Odegaard and his attorney could not be reached for comment.