A New York woman who used fake credentials to work as a behavior analyst is headed to jail after charging a school district over $150,000 for services she was unqualified to provide.

Stacy Lore claimed to have two master’s degrees and a doctorate in addition to being a board certified behavior analyst. Between 2007 and 2008, she contracted with the Norwalk, Conn. public school district to provide therapy services to children with autism.

But at least one parent became suspicious after her son switched to a new therapist with more effective approaches. The parent soon realized that Lore was not certified as a behavior analyst and contacted authorities. In fact, Lore merely had a high school equivalency diploma.

On Thursday, a judge sentenced Lore to eight years in prison, but she will likely serve only three and be released on parole for the remainder of the term.

As for the kids Lore worked with, their parents say their development potential was jeopardized by Lore’s actions. “They were real children with real problems, and we needed real solutions,” one parent told the court this week, reports the Stamford (Conn.) Advocate. To read more click here.

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