STAFFORD, Va. -- A judge in Virginia has sentenced a woman to 11 years in prison for pretending to be a psychologist and treating more than 100 patients.
The prison sentence that Stafford County Circuit Court Judge Charles Sharp handed down Friday to Sharonda Avery, 44, was well above the recommended term under state guidelines, which called for a maximum of two years and three months.
Avery was accused of prescribing medication for nonexistent conditions and failing to properly diagnose conditions that patients did have.
She also testified in court while posing as a medical expert.
