Board discovers fraudulent psychologist

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The attorney general has suspended the license of a psychologist who now admits he's not a real psychologist.

The Indiana State Psychology Board says David Edward Mowry isn't a psychologist at all, but he's been treating patients for years ( read the petition for suspension ).

Vulnerable patients at this assisted living facility have been under Mowry. An employee at HCR Manorcare in Avon confirmed by phone that he’s been treating patients at HCR Manorcare.

Meanwhile, Mowry admits he bought his college transcript and has neither the education nor the training to be a psychologist.

"I was shocked,” said Jeanette Roberts, director of the state psychology board. "I couldn't imagine that someone could submit a fraudulent transcript that looked very authentic."

Mowry’s fake transcripts for his masters and Ph.D. are on blue transcript paper with an official looking embossed seal. It says he earned a Ph.D. in 2007 with a 3.5 grade point average -- and it's all fake.

Based on fake transcripts, the state of Indiana granted him a license to practice psychology.

Roberts agrees the board should check the validity of each transcript before issuing a license.

“Unfortunately, since there isn't really a clearing house of information on colleges and universities to be able to do that, that would probably be the best way to attack this,” said Roberts.

But the licensing board discovered the fraud by simply contacting the university. Shouldn't that be done in every case?

“As you can imagine, there are hundreds of colleges and universities," Roberts explained.

Asked if it was worth public safety to contact the university to check the validity of each college transcript submitted for licensing, Roberts responded, "That is something that we'll have to talk to the board about and see what they want to do from here on out."

24-Hour News 8 learned that Mowry was treating patients in Avon, Anderson, and Breman Indiana.

To the licensing board's credit, they verified that Mowry's transcripts were fake last Thursday and pushed for a hearing on Friday. But board leaders admit they currently have nothing in place to assure this won't happen again.