A grand jury indicted a doctor on narcotics charges in the wake of a federal investigation that alleged he pocketed about $100,000 a week in cash for writing painkiller prescriptions.

The 23-count federal indictment was returned late Tuesday against Dr. Masoud Bamdad, 54, of Granada Hills, who has been in custody since his April 17 arrest.

The indictment consists of 17 counts of prescribing oxycodone without medical purpose, five counts of prescribing oxycodone without medical purpose to people under age 21, and criminal forfeiture of property and funds obtained through illegal activity.

Criminal defense attorney Bruce Margolin said Wednesday that Bamdad will plead not guilty.

"It's unfortunate that a man who has had such an outstanding career is subjected to this kind of prosecution," Margolin said.

In a 97-page affidavit, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigator Susannah Herkert detailed Bamdad's alleged activities, saying he was "in the top five prescribers of narcotics in the entire DEA Los Angeles Field Division."

In 2007, Bamdad allegedly wrote prescriptions for an estimated 70,000 OxyContin tablets, along with other powerful painkillers, according to a DEA estimate. OxyContin is a brand name for the generic oxycodone.

DEA agents repeatedly recorded purchasing prescriptions from Bamdad at his practice in suburban San Fernando, Americare Medical and Dental, for between $140 and $200, according to the affidavit.

In one undercover buy, Bamdad allegedly called special agent Jeffrey O'Neil a drug addict, adding, "This medicine is all dangerous, man." O'Neil allegedly handed Bamdad $200 and left with a prescription for OxyContin, ibuprofen, and Soma, a muscle relaxant.

It wasn't the only time Bamdad allegedly commented to an undercover DEA agent about the dangers of the drugs he prescribed.

"So, you don't want to stop this ... you want to take more and more till you become Anna Nicole Smith?" Bamdad allegedly told special agent Mary Strapple. Bamdad then allegedly wrote the agent a prescription for OxyContin, ibuprofen and Soma.

Smith died of an accidental drug overdose in Florida last year at age 39, and California authorities are investigating two Los Angeles doctors who prescribed drugs to the former Playboy Playmate. An autopsy found numerous drugs in her body, including Soma and Valium. OxyContin was not among them.

The affidavit also alleged that on multiple occasions homeless people from San Diego shelters were transported in vans and escorted into Bamdad's office to obtain prescriptions for controlled substances. In exchange for the drugs, the homeless would receive $100 and a free lunch.

The affidavit also alleged that a 23-year-old man died of an apparent overdose of drugs prescribed by Bamdad on April 14. It said that a day earlier the man handed his parents and a friend empty pill bottles for oxycodone, generic for OxyContin, and Alprazolam, which were allegedly prescribed on April 10 by Bamdad.

U.S. Attorney Thomas P. O'Brien said Bamdad flagrantly violated the law by "writing prescriptions to people who clearly were obtaining powerful, addictive drugs for recreational purposes or for selling on the street."

Bamdad is scheduled to be arraigned on May 12.

Seventeen of the counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Because they relate to persons under age 21, five other counts each carry maximum penalties of 40 years in prison.

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