NEW YORK, July 20 — A 51-year-old Indian-origin doctor in New Jersey, Ritesh Kalra, has been charged with distributing powerful opioids and other prescription drugs without medical justification in exchange for sexual favours from patients, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Kalra, who operated out of Fair Lawn, is accused of running what authorities described as a “pill mill,” routinely prescribing high-dose oxycodone and promethazine with codeine from his medical office in Secaucus.
“Physicians hold a position of profound responsibility — but as alleged, Dr. Kalra used that position to fuel addiction, exploit vulnerable patients for sex, and defraud New Jersey’s public healthcare programme,” said U.S. Attorney Alina Habba in a statement released Friday.
Between January 2019 and February 2025, Kalra reportedly wrote more than 31,000 prescriptions for oxycodone, with authorities noting that on some days, he issued over 50 prescriptions.
In addition to the drug distribution charges, the doctor is also accused of billing for fake in-person visits and counselling sessions. Prosecutors say the scheme defrauded the state’s healthcare system.
Kalra made his initial court appearance on Thursday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Newark federal court. He was released under home incarceration and an unsecured bond of $100,000.
He has been ordered to suspend his medical practice while legal proceedings are underway.
Kalra’s attorney, Michael Baldassar, denied the charges, calling the government’s press release “a supermarket tabloid.” His client, Baldassar told the New York Daily News, intends to fight the allegations in court.
The case underscores growing scrutiny over prescription practices amid the U.S. opioid crisis, which continues to claim thousands of lives annually.
