At least seven people died of drug overdoses from painkillers prescribed by Dr. Kirkwood of the Kirkwood Family Practice on Linden Avenue in Dayton, according to a federal indictment. Defense attorney Douglas Graff on Wednesday declined to comment.
In October 2012, federal and state agents served a search warrant at the 2838 Linden Ave. office run by Kirkwood and his wife, in what Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine then called a year-long investigation into a suspected “pill mill.” DEA agents were seen removing boxes of what appeared to be records.
The Kirkwoods were indicted on numerous counts of conspiracy and distributing prescription pills and health care fraud. According to the indictment, Kirkwood would charge $100 per office visit and “examine” 60 to 100 patients per day.
The indictment states that the object of the conspiracy was “to make as much money as possible by distributing and dispensing controlled substances such as diazepam, carisoprodol, methadone, opana, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and alprazolam, to patients, other drug users, and conspirators.”
The drugs were dispensed in Ohio, Florida, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, according to the court document.
Those who died of overdoses from Kirkwood’s prescriptions are Eula Hoskins, Deborah Goff, Ronald Jackson, Tyrone Redavide, Gregory Spurlock, Norma Shepherd and Gary Durham, according to court documents.
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