The owner of the now-defunct Breaking Point Recovery Center in Austintown pleads guilty to 60 criminal charges in Youngstown Federal Court.

39-year-old Ryan Sheridan's crimes are related to health care fraud.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says Sheridan and five others were part of a conspiracy that illegally billed Medicaid $48-Million for drug and alcohol recovery services that were never provided or not medically necessary.

Sheridan pled guilty late Friday afternoon in Youngstown Federal Court.

Judge Benita Pearson rejecting his attorney's request to release him until sentencing on January 23rd.
Sheridan, who is currently being held in federal custody at the private prison in Youngstown, could face more than ten years in prison and restitution of more than $24-Million.

The one-time flashy businessman and developer who only completed the 9th grade in school and later got his GED, admits his troubles with drugs and alcohol in the past.

But Sheridan appeared to have a life that came full circle — opening the Austintown addiction recovery clinic Braking Point in 2015 to help others who became addicted during the height of the opioid epidemic.

Sheridan plead guilty, and then was found guilty by the Judge on all 60 counts name in a federal indictment, including Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, Drug Conspiracy, Running a Drug Premises, and Money Laundering.

Sheridan who was handcuffed and shackled as he walked into court was wearing his orange jail clothing and had a ponytail and glasses
told the Judge why he's changed his plea to guilty, "The facts of the case and going to trial doesn't seem like a good idea," Sheridan said.

Thirteen of his properties will be forfeited to the government, including more than $300,000 found in his home during a raid, at least five vehicles including his Bat Mobile, $2-Million in the bank, and homes located in Leetonia and Girard.

When he's sentenced in late January Sheridan could go to prison for at least 10 years, and will have to pay restitution in the amount of more than $24-MILLION dollars, for illegally billing Medicaid and using the registration of a doctor who no longer worked for him to obtain Suboxone for clients, whether they were prescribed it or not.

This week all six defendants in the Braking Point Recovery scandal pleaded guilty: Ryan Sheridan, 39, of Leetonia; Jennifer M. Sheridan, 41, Austintown; Kortney L. Gherardi, 30, of Girard; Lisa M. Pertee, 51, of Sunbury; Thomas Bailey, 45, of Poland; and Arthur H. Smith, 55, of Austintown. All are expected to be sentenced early next year.