On 18/7, the US Attorney’s Office in New Jersey announced that Ritesh Kalra, 51, an Indian-origin doctor, is accused of running a clinic that prescribed opioid painkillers without a legitimate medical purpose, trading prescriptions for sex.
Between January 2019 and February 2025, Kalra allegedly wrote over 30,000 prescriptions for oxycodone to more than 1,500 patients. At times, he wrote as many as 50 oxycodone prescriptions in a single day. An investigation revealed at least three patients received oxycodone prescriptions from Kalra in exchange for sex.
Former employees of Kalra's clinic reported that female patients complained about him inappropriately touching them and demanding sex in exchange for prescriptions. One patient accused Kalra of assaulting and forcing her into sex during an examination.
In addition to the accusations of soliciting and coercing sex, Kalra is also charged with billing for in-person consultations that never occurred.
The 51-year-old doctor faces charges of distributing opioid medication outside the scope of professional practice in exchange for sex, and healthcare fraud, according to court documents.
If convicted of distributing controlled substances, Kalra faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The healthcare fraud charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
"Dr. Kalra allegedly leveraged his position to fuel addiction, exploited vulnerable patients for sex, and defrauded New Jersey's publicly funded healthcare programs. By trading prescriptions for sex and billing Medicaid for phantom appointments, as alleged, he not only violated the law, but endangered the lives of his patients," the prosecutor said.
Kalra made his initial court appearance on 17/7 and was released on $100,000 bail. He is currently under house arrest, prohibited from practicing medicine or writing prescriptions, and his clinic has been closed pending trial. Kalra's lawyer denies the allegations.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is asking any former patients who may be victims to contact the agency.
Tue Anh (according to USAO)
