An Ohio doctor has pleaded guilty to his role in a conspiracy that prescribed medical equipment and lab tests to patients and then submitted claims to Medicare for reimbursement. Medicare is a federal health benefit program operated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that primarily serves individuals aged 65 and older.
According to court documents, Timothy Sutton, 43, of North Ridgeville, Ohio, admitted that he and other co-conspirators engaged in a scheme to fraudulently bill more than $14.5 million in payments from Medicare. Sutton worked for two telemedicine companies: Real Time Physicians, LLC, based in Nevada, and 24 Hour Virtual MD, LLC, in Florida. The companies gave Sutton pre-completed orders for durable medical equipment (DME), such as braces, and/or cancer genetic testing (CGX), which he could approve and digitally sign. In doing so, he confirmed that he assessed patients via a telemedicine platform and determined that they need DME or CGX testing. In actuality, he never evaluated any of the patients who lived in Ohio and Florida.
After Sutton prescribed the equipment or ordered the tests, Real Time Physicians and 24 Hour Virtual MD expanded the conspiracy by passing the orders to companies under their control or selling the orders to other medical entities to provide DME or conduct the lab testing. Sutton cheated Medicare by filing claims that were not reasonable and required for medical treatment and which did not follow Medicare rules and regulations or applicable federal laws.
On April 4, 2025, Sutton pleaded guilty to attempt and conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, false statements about health care, and aggravated identity theft. He faces a maximum of 27 years in prison. Sentencing is planned for July 26, 2025. A federal district court judge will impose a sentence after examining the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory circumstances.
The FBI Cleveland Division and the US Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General both conducted investigations into this case. Om Kakani and Rebecca Lutzko, Assistant United States Attorneys in the Northern District of Ohio, are prosecuting the case.
