Former Hacienda Healthcare Caregiver Nathan Sutherland Pleads Guilty in Rape Case

A former Hacienda Healthcare caregiver charged with sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman who later gave birth at a long-term care facility in Phoenix has pleaded guilty to multiple charges.

In December 2018, police were notified of an incident by staff at Hacienda Healthcare who called for help when a patient gave birth to a baby who needed immediate medical attention.

A nurse who regularly cared for the victim during her delivery said in the 911 call that she was unaware that the patient was pregnant.


After an investigation, Nathan Sutherland was named as the suspect. He “worked around the victim and treated her on numerous occasions and thus had direct access to her for an extended period of time,” according to court paperwork.

The facility where the victim lived initiated a DNA test on all male staff members. Sutherland was arrested in January 2019 after his DNA was matched to the victim’s baby.

According to family members, the victim suffers “significant intellectual disabilities” after childhood seizures and has limited communication capabilities.

At the time of the birth, the baby was reportedly in good condition. Further details have not been made public.

Sutherland has pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and vulnerable adult abuse. Sutherland’s next court date is scheduled on Oct. 4, with his sentencing set for Nov. 4.

Bill Timmons

The investigation into this crime spiraled into additional findings with the administrative operations at Hacienda Healthcare.

The former CEO of Hacienda Healthcare, Bill Timmons, also pled guilty to two counts of felony fraud earlier thisyear. Timmons and his Chief Financial Officer, Joseph O’Malley, were accused of being involved in what the Attorney General’s Office described as “an elaborate white-collar fraud scheme that bilked Arizona taxpayers out of millions of dollars.”