Michigan woman sentenced for impersonating health care worker, witness intimidation
(CBS DETROIT) - An Oakland County woman is sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for posing as a health care worker and witness protection months after pleading guilty.
According to the Michigan Attorney General's office, Kimberly Coden, 38, pleaded guilty in August to six counts of unauthorized practice of a health profession (four to six years), two counts of identity theft (four to seven and a half years) and one count of intimidation or interfering with a witness (four to six years).
Coden worked as the director of services at the Oxford Recovery Center, which has locations in Brighton and Troy and provides services for children with autism.
State officials say Coden allegedly presented herself as a board-certified behavioral analyst; however, she was not licensed by the state of Michigan and did not have a requisite educational background. Officials say she obtained the certification number of an actual behavioral analyst and used it to get a job at Centria Health Care, the Positive Behavior Supports Corporation, before using it at the Oxford Recovery Center.
Additionally, Coden intimidated a witness via text messages to prevent her from testifying against her, according to a news release.
"Falsifying credentials to gain access to a highly vulnerable population is unethical and reprehensible," said Nessel. "I hope this sentence serves as a warning for others that we take the proper training, qualifications, and licensing requirements very seriously and there are real consequences for those who deliberately shirk them."