A Smithville psychiatrist who prosecutors say turned his prescription pad into a perk for sex partners has pleaded guilty to 17 felony counts tied to invalid prescriptions for stimulants and benzodiazepines. The doctor, 73-year-old Louis Morelli, has surrendered his psychiatric license and turned himself in, and now faces up to 51 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 27, 2026.
Prosecutors' allegations
Prosecutors say Morelli wrote bogus prescriptions for Adderall, Vyvanse and Xanax to people he was having sex with, as well as to patients he knew were abusing drugs, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. In some cases, they allege, the prescriptions were essentially payment: "On some occasions, Morelli wrote the prescriptions in exchange for sexual activities, images, or videos," prosecutors wrote in a press release.
One message quoted by prosecutors read, "Your ass for my script…lol." Even after warnings, they say, Morelli kept writing the prescriptions. In 2019, a patient's mother told him her child had "stopped breathing" after abusing medications, yet he allegedly continued prescribing. Investigators also told Morelli that some people were reselling the drugs, according to prosecutors.
Morelli ultimately pleaded guilty to 17 felony counts and gave up his license, then turned himself in. Prosecutors say he faces up to three years in prison per count, with a maximum of 51 years.
State oversight and context
The case lands at a time when New Jersey officials have been ramping up scrutiny of controlled-substance prescribing, along with disciplinary actions by the State Board of Medical Examiners and the Division of Consumer Affairs. Similar crackdowns have played out recently. For example, the state stripped a Gloucester City doctor's license after a federal guilty plea in an opioid case, according to reporting from KYW Newsradio.
What’s next
Morelli's guilty plea and the lurid details laid out by prosecutors highlight broader worries about loose prescribing practices and patient safety in small, private practices. He is due back in court for sentencing on Oct. 27, 2026, according to NBC10 Philadelphia.
