A North Ridgeville, Ohio, physician has been sentenced to 64 months in prison for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme involving more than $14.5 million in false Medicare claims, according to a Jan. 14 news release from the Justice Department.
What happened?
- Timothy Sutton, MD, was sentenced Jan. 12 after pleading guilty in April 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, false statements related to healthcare matters, and aggravated identity theft.
- Dr. Sutton allegedly used his medical license to sign pre-completed orders for durable medical equipment and cancer genetic testing while employed by two Florida-based telemedicine companies. He falsely claimed to have examined patients via telemedicine and to be their treating physician, according to court documents.
- The telemedicine companies then forwarded or sold the signed orders to other businesses involved in the conspiracy. Investigators determined Dr. Sutton never examined the patients and the services were medically unnecessary.
- In addition to his prison term, Dr. Sutton was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay nearly $6 million in restitution to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
