AUSTINTOWN — Mahoning County Area Court Judge Scott Hunter set bond at $30,000 during the arraignment Wednesday for former Braking Point Recovery Center owner Ryan Sheridan on felony kidnapping and misdemeanor domestic violence charges.

Sheridan, 45, was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in federal prison in January 2020 after he and five associates were convicted of 60 charges, including Medicaid fraud, in what federal prosecutors called a “massive health care fraud” from 2015 to 2017.

An Austintown police report states that the kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and domestic violence charges were filed after police were sent to a home in Austintown at 8:49 p.m. Oct. 23 for a domestic altercation, and the suspect, Sheridan, had fled in a black Cadillac.

When officers spoke with the victim, she said Sheridan is her boyfriend and they lived together for more than a year, then broke up about 10 months ago and started dating again recently. She said Sheridan was not living with her at the time of the incident.

The report states Sheridan lived in Youngstown, but Sheridan told Hunter Wednesday his address is in Canfield.

The victim told police that Sheridan came to her home about 7:45 p.m. Oct. 23 to have dinner and hang out, but an argument ensued over the woman taking a walk down the street with a friend, the report states.

ALLEGED ATTACK

The woman said she tried to leave by going to her car in the garage, but Sheridan “came chasing after her and grabbed onto her forcefully, removing her from the car and slamming her onto the ground,” the report states. She said Sheridan then dragged her into the house and pinned her to the couch as she attempted to leave.

After a short while, she acted like she was going outside to tend to her cat. She was planning to go around the house and get into her car again, but Sheridan noticed her and dragged her out of the car and “slammed her onto the ground, at which time her head struck the concrete ground,” the report states.

Sheridan dragged her back into the house and the argument continued, she stated. But later, she acted like she was going to the neighbor’s house to seek help, at which point Sheridan fled from the home. She contacted a friend, who called 911, she stated.

The woman was checked by paramedics but refused further medical attention. A paramedic who assessed the woman said she had an approximately 2-inch to 3-inch raised bruise on the back left side of her head, the report states. She also had a visible cut on her right knee from being thrown on the ground, the report states. Her pants were ripped from Sheridan dragging her on the ground.

Police went to an address in Youngstown in search of Sheridan and found the black Cadillac, the report states. Officers were unable to locate Sheridan because they did not know his apartment number and received no response from the apartments where they knocked, the report states.

During Sheridan’s video arraignment from the Mahoning County jail, his attorney, Greg Rossi, entered a not guilty plea on the misdemeanor domestic violence but said no plea was required on the felony.

Rossi asked that Hunter set bond at $10,000, but Assistant Mahoning County Prosecutor Ralph Rivera recommended a $40,000 bond.

Rossi called Sheridan “not a flight risk at all,” saying when Sheridan learned there was a warrant for his arrest, he turned himself in to Austintown police. Rossi said Sheridan is “a businessman, he is a personal trainer. He has a lot of clients.”

Hunter set bond at $25,000 on the kidnapping and $5,000 on the domestic violence. When Hunter asked where he will live if he makes bond, Sheridan said he will live with his daughter in Youngstown.

Rivera said federal authorities have placed a “hold” on Sheridan because of Sheridan’s new charges, saying that the hold would prevent Sheridan from being released from the Mahoning County jail on the $30,000 bond.

Hunter imposed a no-contact order on Sheridan, preventing him from contacting the victim in any way.

Sheridan was released from federal prison in November 2023, according to a motion Sheridan filed in June in his federal criminal case without an attorney, in which he asked for early release from his three years of court supervision. It appears from court documents that no ruling on the motion was issued.

FEDERAL CASE

Federal prosecutors in the Braking Point case said Braking Point was paid $24.5 million in false medical claims and said Sheridan drove his employees to increase billing so that revenues would rise.

Sheridan and two top managers were ordered to repay the $24.5 million.

Sheridan and his associates committed 60 crimes, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, seven counts of fraud against Medicaid, one count of conspiracy to illegally distribute drugs, one count of operating premises to illegally distribute controlled substances and 28 counts dealing with money laundering.

Braking Point had an office in Austintown.