A Honolulu doctor was found guilty on five of 13 counts of distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional medical practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose, the U.S. District Attorney's office announced.

A federal court jury acquitted Dr. Barry Odegaard, age 56, on the remaining eight counts The verdicts followed a six-day trial before U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra.

Odegaard faces a maximum sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $1 million for each count of conviction when he is sentenced by Judge Ezra on October 14.

Edward H. Kubo, Jr., U.S. attorney for Hawai'i, said that according to information produced at the trial, during an investigation into Dr. Odegaard initiated in 2004, an individual cooperating with law enforcement and others portrayed themselves as patients in meetings with Dr. Odegaard to determine under what circumstances he would prescribe controlled substances.

The jury found that in five instances Dr. Odegaard prescribed the controlled substance Oxycontin to the cooperating individual illegally.

The case was investigated by agents and officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Honolulu Police Department, and the Department of Public Safety Narcotics Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan M. F. Loo handled the prosecution