Philadelphia physician accused of running pill mill mounts unique defense during trial

William J. O'Brien III, DO, has been in jail since January 2015 for exchanging sex for drugs and running a pill mill. Now he's serving as his own attorney during trial and mounting an unusual defense, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

In October 2014, an undercover FBI agent caught Dr. O'Brien red-handed as he offered her Xanax pills in exchange for oral sex. In addition, prosecutors claim he's offered various narcotic painkillers to local strippers in exchange for sex. "They usually had the money for the visit, but the defendant wanted sex," said Assistant U.S. Attorney David Troyer, according to the report.

That's not all Dr. O'Brien is accused of. With the help of the Pagans Motorcycle Club, he also allegedly ran a pill mill through which he handed out prescriptions for oxycodone and methadone. According to a January 2015 6ABC.com report, federal prosecutors believed Dr. O'Brien had gained nearly $1.8 million in one year through the pill mill operation.

Dr. O'Brien's trial began May 23. Thus far, he has called the prosecution "bullies" who "are going to learn a lesson," according to the report.

Though his weight has decreased from 380 pounds to 160 pounds while in jail, Dr. O'Brien claimed the federal agents wanted to "pick on the fat guy," according to the report. "These are the same people in grade school and high school that picked on me," he said. "I became a doctor. They went and got guns and badges."

Throughout his defense, Dr. O'Brien has referenced Mark Twain, the Old Testament and the TV show "M*A*S*H." For an undisclosed reason, he's also requested to use "four copies of a hardback Dr. Seuss publication" during his defense, according to a court filing cited in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The trial will last six weeks.

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