June 25, 2026
Imagn Images/USA Today
Louis Morelli, 73, pleaded guilty to 17 counts of issuing illegal prescriptions of Xanax, Adderall and Vyvanse to patients at his psychiatry practice in Smithville, New Jersey. He faces up to 51 years in prison, Above, a stock photo of Xanax pills.
A South Jersey psychiatrist faces prison time after pleading guilty to writing prescriptions in exchange for sexual favors and giving drugs to people with known addictions, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Camden said.
Louis Morelli, 73, admitted he gave invalid prescriptions of Xanax, Adderall and Vyvanse to 17 patients at his practice in Smithville over a period of several years. The drugs were provided for reasons other than medical necessity, prosecutors said, and Morelli admitted he wrote some of the prescriptions to get sexual favors or nude photos and videos from his patients.
When one of Morelli's patients asked him for a prescription, court documents show the psychiatrist replied, "Your ass for my script...lol."
Prosecutors found evidence that Morelli had similar conversations with a number of his patients. He knew several of them struggled with addiction but continued to write prescriptions despite pleas from family members and warnings from police. In some cases, Morelli had been told by police that patients intended to trade or resell the drugs, prosecutors said.
“Licensed medical professionals who prescribe powerful controlled substances outside the bounds of legitimate medical care put lives at risk and undermine public trust in the medical profession," U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer said in a statement.
The mother of one of Morelli's patients wrote to the psychiatrist in 2019 to advise him that the patient was abusing the prescribed drugs and to request that he stop providing them. The mother said her son had stopped breathing one occasion, and in another text message months later, she said the same patient had mixed Xanax and alcohol, took large amounts of pills in a short time and intended to use street drugs in combination with the prescribed drugs. Morelli did not stop prescribing the patient drugs, prosecutors said.
In at least one case, drugs prescribed by Morelli led to a medical emergency.
“The conduct admitted to in this case represents a betrayal of patients, the medical profession, and public trust," DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James said in a statement.
Morelli faces up to 51 years in prison for the combined 17 charges, each of which carries a maximum three-year sentence. Each of the charges also comes with a fine of up to $250,000. As part of the plea agreement, Morelli has surrendered his licenses to practice medicine and psychiatry. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 27.
