Doctor faces 58 counts of unlawful opioid distribution, fraud as part of 'pill mill' operation
A New Jersey doctor has been accused of exchanging sexual favors for opioids as part of what prosecutors call a “pill mill” distribution operation that defrauded the state’s Medicaid program.
In a statement announcing the indictment, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that 52-year-old Ritesh Kalra, MD, faces 58 counts related to “distributing opioids without a legitimate medical purpose, maintaining a drug-involved premises, and defrauding New Jersey Medicaid by billing for visits that never happened.”
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello, representing the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, said that Kalra was first charged in July 2025, with this latest indictment tacking on additional charges. Of the 58 counts in the amended indictment, 36 are for illegally distributing opioids, and 21 are related to allegations of submitting fraudulent Medicaid claims.
“The additional charges against Dr. Kalra demonstrate that our Office will continue to pursue justice for victims of the opioid epidemic in New Jersey by prosecuting doctors who, as alleged, use their positions of trust to fuel addiction and exploit vulnerable patients,” Lamparell said in a statement. “Physicians who defraud New Jersey’s Medicaid program for their own personal gain will be held accountable.”
It is alleged that Kalra, an internist, wrote upwards of 50 prescriptions a day for controlled painkillers, in some cases demanding sexual favors from his addicted patients in exchange for a script. These acts, along with the fraudulent billing, took place between January 2019 and February 2025, prosecutors contend.
His license was suspended by the state of New Jersey in August 2025, shortly after he was officially charged by the DOJ.
If convicted on all counts, Kalra could spend the rest of his life in prison, as each of the 36 incidents of alleged drug distribution alone carries penalties of 20 years.
Charges do not include sexual coercion
Notably, none of the claims of sexual favors mentioned in the DOJ’s statement are part of the criminal complaint against the doctor. He remains innocent until proven guilty, and has yet to be tried in federal court.
Chad is an award-winning writer and editor with over 15 years of experience working in media. He has a decade-long professional background in healthcare, working as a writer and in public relations.