Jeffrey Sutton, DO, of Niles, Ohio, has been sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay nearly $170,000 for illegally distributing controlled substances and healthcare fraud, the Justice Department reported May 23.
Dr. Sutton, 65, pleaded guilty to prescribing medically unnecessary controlled substances and fraudulently billing healthcare benefit programs for these substances as well as office visits that did not take place.
Additionally, Dr. Sutton admitted to providing controlled substances to patients in exchange for sexual acts and delivering "dozens of oxycodone pills" without a prescription to a patient with whom he was in a relationship.
He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $5,200 special assessment, a $20,000 fine and restitution of $148,870.