LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio - A doctor in Lorain County has been sentenced for his participation in a scheme regarding healthcare billing conspiracy. The scheme was intended to fraudulently bill Medicare for nearly $15 million.

According to a release, the doctor, 44-year-old Timothy Sutton of North Ridgeville, pleaded guilty in April of 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, false statements related to health care matters and aggravated identity theft.

Court documents stated Sutton had used his medical license to cause submission of claims on behalf of patients who did not need medical treatment. It also revealed Sutton was examining patients using a telemedicine platform to determine that patients, whom federal investigators say he never examined, needed durable medical equipment (DME) like braces or cancer genetic testing.

Two telemedicine companies in Florida, which Sutton was employed by, provided him with pre-completed orders for DME. Once Sutton prescribed DME, the orders were either forwarded to other medical businesses, which were part of the conspiracy, or sold to other medical entities.

Sutton was sentenced to five years and four months in prison and will serve three years of supervised release. Additionally, Sutton is required to pay nearly $6 million in restitution to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.