Phoenix-area man accused of posing as psychologist with fake college degree indicted

A Valley man accused of using a forged college diploma to pose as a licensed psychologist was indicted by a Maricopa County grand jury on Monday, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

According to records, Scott Edward Keeling was indicted on five felony charges for his alleged participation in a scheme to defraud the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the state’s Medicaid agency, of at least $25,000. Keeling's charges include conspiracy, theft, fraudulent schemes, and illegal control of an enterprise.

The crimes occurred last year from January to August while Keeling served as the director of operations at Therapy Trust Behavioral Health, a substance abuse treatment center in Phoenix that abruptly closed in August, according to records.

Earlier, Keeling was sentenced to 90 days in jail and four years of probation in March for fraudulent schemes and drug possession. This followed an Attorney General’s Office's statement that he had impersonated a licensed psychologist using forged documents.

The fake documents included a forged resume, college transcripts, and a diploma from the University of California, Los Angeles, according to records.

Keeling was arrested in November after submitting a sworn affidavit in 2021 for a child custody case. Prosecutors claimed he falsely identified himself as "Dr. Scott Keeling-Torrez" and used the title "psychologist, PhD." The case revolved around a dispute between a grandmother and a father, Matthew Garner of Georgia, who sought more visitation time with his two children, residing with her in Arizona.

In the affidavit, Keeling, who said he coached and mentored the children, wrote that “great harm” would come to them if Garner were in their lives. After Garner was unable to find any records showing that Keeling was a licensed psychologist in Arizona, the father filed complaints against Keeling with the Phoenix Police Department, state Attorney General’s Office, and the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners last year.

All three agencies began separate investigations into Keeling, and the board sent a cease and desist order commanding him to stop posing as a licensed psychologist in September.

"It harmed my case greatly; it’s still going on today," Garner said to the board last year.

Court records state that Keeling also had numerous expensive vehicles registered under his name with vanity plates reading “DRPYSCH,” “PYSCH” and “PYSCH2,” and his former employees said they believed he was a psychologist.

Keeling and his attorney, Michael Tamou, wrote in court records that signing the affidavit was “a mistake” and Keeling did not intend to misrepresent himself.

Keeling is being held on a $500,000 bond in a Maricopa County jail. He is slated to next appear in court on May 7.

Madeline Nguyen is a breaking news reporter for The Republic. Reach her at Madeline.Nguyen@gannett.com or 480-619-0285. Follow her on X @madelineynguyen.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix-area man accused of posing as psychologist indicted