PHOENIX — A man who the Arizona Attorney General says used a fake diploma and portrayed himself as a licensed psychologist was sentenced to 90 days in jail and four years’ probation.
Scott Keeling pleaded guilty to fraudulent schemes and possession of drug paraphernalia, both felonies. In exchange, the state agreed to drop forgery and perjury charges.
Several of his former employees showed up at the sentencing in Maricopa County Superior Court. Two spoke during the sentencing hearing about the damage they said he caused.
"This man portrayed himself to be something he wasn't, a psychologist,” said Christina Hickson, a former employee. “People go to them to try and release trauma they've already been through. And they were just re-traumatized."
Before being sentenced in Maricopa County Superior Court, Keeling told Commissioner Barbara Spencer that he took responsibility for his actions, and he was sorry for what he’d done.
“Whether you intended it or not, you caused a lot of pain to a lot of people,” Spencer said to him.
Keeling, who has been in a Maricopa County jail since his arrest in late November, received only partial credit for time already served, 31 days. He’s scheduled to be released May 6.
Spencer also said he cannot consume alcohol, and she ordered him to undergo substance-abuse treatment and a mental health evaluation.
Several of Keeling’s former employees also attended his plea hearing last month in Maricopa County Superior Court and gathered outside the courthouse after, sharing stories about their former boss.
“We all called this man ‘Dr. Scott.’ We all believed this man to be who he said he was,” said Meaghan Rohrbacher, a former employee.
As ABC15 was the first to report, employees said they thought Keeling was a licensed psychologist. He drove a car with a vanity license plate that said, “Dr. Pysch.” His business cards said he was a doctor and a psychologist with a Ph.D.
“We never got the truth from him,” said Mariah Benally-Camarena, another former employee.
Email ABC15 Investigator Anne Ryman at: anne.ryman@abc15.com, call her at 602-685-6345, or connect on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook.
