PROVO — A Salem doctor now faces a felony drug charge, after being arrested for allegedly trading prescriptions for sexual favors.

Max Kent Cannon, 49, appeared in 4th District Court Monday morning with his attorney, Earl Xaiz, to receive a third-degree felony charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

The charge was filed Monday morning, the same time Xaiz was officially retained. Xaiz said he is still waiting on evidence from the prosecutors before he could officially comment on the case.

The Utah County Attorney's Office learned last November that Cannon was allegedly "soliciting sexual favors in exchange for prescription drugs," according to an affidavit of probable case filed in 4th District Court.

Cannon had been an independent general physician with privileges at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo and Mountain View Hospital in Payson. However, those privileges have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigations, said hospital officials.

Cannon's medical license was active until Jan. 31, but he hasn't filed anything to renew it so it now shows as "expired," said Becky Brown, spokeswoman for the Department of Commerce, which includes the Department of Occupational and Professional Licensing.

During the investigation, prosecutors interviewed several women who said their interactions with Cannon began as a doctor/patient relationship, according to the affidavit.

One woman said that after a gastric bypass surgery, Cannon asked her to get a hotel room, which he paid for, then they had sex there twice, after which he gave her prescriptions for Lortab or hydrocodone, according to the affidavit.

The woman told police she got prescriptions six more times, because she told "Dr. Cannon she would arrange a threesome," according to the affidavit.

Another woman said she met Cannon because of a hernia surgery and he would call and text her as follow-up, asking if she needed more medicine, according to the affidavit.

She told police he would make "off-color" comments about her body and even came to her house with his children in the car, asking if she needed more drugs, according to the affidavit.

After the woman contacted police, they asked that she arrange a meeting with Cannon to get medicine. Cannon allegedly told the woman he could get her OxyContin if "she went all the way with him," according to the affidavit.

The two arranged to meet at a Provo hotel where police were waiting and arrested Cannon as he got out the drugs, according to the affidavit.

He bailed out of jail on $7,500 cash or bond the afternoon of Jan. 28.

His next hearing will be Feb. 29 at 8:30 in American Fork's 4th District Court.

---

E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com