Doctor pleads guilty to charges in illegal drug operation

<p>A hospital physician has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to trading anti-anxiety and pain medication for a drug that he used to make methamphetamine.</p><p>Alan B. Kaiser III of Conyers was accused of signing prescriptions for Xanax and Hydrocodone for three unidentified men. In exchange, they supplied him with pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient of methamphetamine, authorities said.</p><p>Materials and equipment used to produce methamphetamine seized during a raid of a storage unit in Covington were linked to Kaiser, investigators said.</p><p>On Tuesday, Kaiser pleaded guilty to one count of manufacturing methamphetamine, multiple counts of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute and 60 counts of unauthorized distribution of a controlled substance for writing fake prescriptions.</p><p>In addition to the prison sentence, Kaiser received 20 years on probation. He will receive credit for time already served.</p><p>Kaiser had been on staff at Newton General Hospital and Rockdale Medical Center since 1996.</p>