U.S. CALLS DOCTOR A SUPPLIER TO ADDICTS

A Federal Trial Opens For The Second Panhandle Physician In Two Years
Charged With Prescription Fraud That Caused Deaths

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - A doctor who allegedly funneled thousands of pain pills
to drug addicts, including two who died from oxycodone abuse, is "a drug
dealer with a medical license," a federal prosecutor told a jury Wednesday.

An attorney for Dr. Freddie Williams denied the allegations and blamed
patients for lying to the doctor to get prescriptions. "Simply because
someone becomes dependent on a substance does not make the doctor who
prescribed the substance a criminal," defense attorney Armando Garcia said.

Williams, 54, of Panama City, faces 94 charges and could receive life in
federal prison if convicted. His trial is expected to last three weeks.

In his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Kunz said
evidence would show Williams put profit ahead of medical principles.

"This is about a doctor peddling controlled substances, highly addictive
opiates, for cash money," the prosecutor said.

A search of Williams' office, home and storage unit a year ago turned up a
variety of painkillers, Kunz said. He said the doctor's license allowed him
only to prescribe drugs, not dispense them.

Investigators also found five business cards with Williams' name and "Dr.
Feelgood" printed across a depiction of a dollar bill, the prosecutor said.

He said Williams prescribed the painkiller oxycodone to known addicts, and
in two cases his prescriptions led to deaths.

Oxycodone is in OxyContin, linked to more than 100 deaths across the
nation. A pill swallowed whole provides hours of pain relief, but it can be
lethal if taken in excess, chewed, or pulverized and snorted or injected.

Another Panhandle physician, Dr. James Graves, of Pace, in 2002 became the
first doctor in the nation convicted of manslaughter for OxyContin-related
deaths. Graves was sentenced to 63 years in state prison on four
manslaughter counts.

Williams is charged with conspiracy to commit mail, wire or health care
fraud, committing health care fraud, conspiracy to distribute or possessing
with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, gun possession by a
convicted felon, three counts of attempting to distribute drugs, 57 counts
of illegally dispensing drugs, 15 counts of mail fraud; and 15 counts of
wire fraud.