Woman who posed as student at Boston high schools accepts plea deal, sentenced to probation

"A former Massachusetts social worker who was accused of posing as a student at three Boston high schools pleaded guilty to five charges Tuesday in a plea deal with prosecutors. Shelby Hewitt, 34, of Canton, pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to three counts of forgery, one count of identity fraud, and one count of violating public employee conduct standards, court records show."

"Hewitt was sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay more than $9,000 in restitution under the terms of the agreement, court records show. She was also ordered to stay away from all Boston Public Schools (BPS), continue mental health treatment, and not seek future employment as a social worker. Prior to reaching an agreement with prosecutors, Hewitt was scheduled to stand trial Feb. 9. She was initially caught and charged in June 2023 after a BPS staff worker noticed "irregularities" in her student paperwork."

A former Department of Children and Families employee used aliases to enroll at Brighton High School, Jeremiah E. Burke High School, and English High School during the 2022–2023 academic year. She attended for months under the names "Daneilla" and "Ellie," befriending students and joining a girls' basketball team. Charges included three counts of forgery, one count of identity fraud, and one count of violating public employee conduct standards; additional charges were dismissed as part of a plea. The defendant pleaded guilty, received four years of probation, was ordered to pay over $9,000 in restitution, must avoid Boston Public Schools, continue mental health treatment, and is barred from future social work employment. The scheme was detected after BPS staff noticed irregularities in paperwork in June 2023; the defense sought a continuation without a finding, but the plea required a guilty finding.

Read at Boston.com