Kentucky Pharmacy Owner Pleads Guilty to Misbranding Conspiracy

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Mike Stuart announced that Karl O’Dell, 61, a pharmacist and owner of a pharmacy in Ashland, Kentucky, pled guilty yesterday to a conspiracy to misbrand oxycodone and hydrocodone.  Stuart praised the investigation conducted by the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy, the West Virginia State Police, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“West Virginia is in the midst of the worst drug crisis of our time,” said United States Attorney Mike Stuart.  “We will use every federal law available to us to hold those contributing to the opioid crisis accountable, regardless of whether they are a street dealer, cartel leader or a medical professional in a lab coat.”

O’Dell admitted that he conspired to misbrand oxycodone and hydrocodone and introduced them into interstate commerce when he manufactured compounded oxycodone and hydrocodone not for medically legitimate purposes in anticipation of prescriptions written by HOPE Clinic practitioners for their customers. O’Dell admitted that in furtherance of the conspiracy, on two separate occasions, once in July 2014 and once in August 2014, he received and filled two prescriptions for 120 oxycodone 32mg compounded capsules written by two different HOPE Clinic practitioners for two different customers.

O’Dell faces up to 1 year in prison and a $100,000 fine when he is sentenced on November 29, 2018.  In addition he has agreed to the filing of a civil complaint for over $42,000 of illegal proceeds he received as a result of the misbranding conspiracy.

Assistant United States Attorney Monica D. Coleman is handling the prosecution. United States District Judge Irene Berger presided over the plea hearing. 

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