A Denver judge has sentenced Shannon McShane to four years in the Colorado Department of Corrections after she admitted to working as a fake psychologist across multiple state departments.
McShane pleading guilty to influencing a public servant, perjury, and retaliation against a witness.
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She served as a family evaluator in courtrooms throughout Colorado, where her reports often influenced child custody decisions. McShane also worked for the Colorado State Mental Health Hospital and counseled inmates while employed by the Department of Corrections.
Her deception came to light during a custody case involving Chad Kullhem, who raised concerns about her qualifications. After filing a complaint with Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) in 2023, he discovered that the PhD McShane claimed to hold from a London university was fabricated.
Kullhem, speaking in a Zoom interview after the hearing, said he hopes the sentence deters others from committing similar fraud.
“This really sets an example. It shows them that if they get caught, they are not just going to walk away and start a new career somewhere. They are going to be held accountable and hopefully that prevents further corruption and issues like this,” he said.
During the sentencing hearing, McShane apologized to Kullhem directly, telling the court she had “lost her mind.”
Before handing down the sentence, the judge emphasized the serious harm her lies caused, stating that McShane infiltrated Colorado’s justice system and that her actions severely damaged public trust.
She was taken from the courtroom in handcuffs and began serving her prison sentence immediately.
