PIKEVILLE, Ky. — The federal drug and fraud trial of a Paintsville doctor has been delayed for seven months.

Dr. Loey Kousa was indicted back in April on five counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances, two counts of health care fraud, and two counts of making false statements. He is accused of unnecessarily prescribing opioids to patients, then requiring them to undergo medically unnecessary tests and lying about them on health records.

He was scheduled to go on trial July 13, but his attorney asked for a delay, due to the volume of evidence in the trial and his commitment to another federal case this month. Prosecutors did not object to the request, and the judge agreed to grant it.

Kousa is now scheduled to stand trial Feb. 8.