A former director of Cache County Victim Services in Utah has been charged with one second-degree felony count of communications fraud over an alleged false claim to hold a doctorate, according to The Salt Lake Tribune and Utah Public Radio.

The accused, Terryl Warner, 63, worked for Cache County from 1996 to 2024. The charge was filed on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, and is being handled by Utah County prosecutors after the Cache County Attorney's Office asked an outside agency to take the case. The offence carries a possible prison term of up to 15 years.

What the charging documents allege

According to the charging documents as reported, Warner told a county attorney in June 2021 that she was about halfway through a psychology doctorate at Liberty University. In November 2022 she shared a screenshot of what appeared to be a Liberty University email congratulating her on completing a doctoral programme.

Later that month she asked to give up an interim role as director of the Children's Justice Center while keeping the extra pay attached to it, citing the doctorate. The newly appointed interim county attorney agreed. Prosecutors say he would not have done so, and would have dismissed her, had he known the degree was not accredited.

When the county asked for proof in August 2024, Warner provided documents showing a doctorate dated August 2022 from Breyer State Theology University, a school both outlets describe as unaccredited. The county says her pay was about $14,000 higher than it would otherwise have been. She was suspended and her pay was cut that month, and she resigned in December 2024.

Earlier lawsuit

In February 2025 Warner sued Cache County, alleging she had been drawn into a county attorney election dispute and retaliated against, and that her suspension was for a pretextual reason. She dropped the suit in August 2025. Her attorney did not respond to requests for comment, according to both outlets. Warner is accused, not convicted, and no court date had been reported.

Checking accreditation, not just the certificate

The case illustrates a common gap: an employer may accept a degree claim without checking who awarded it. In the US, employers can confirm whether an institution is accredited through the Department of Education's database of accredited institutions or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, and confirm the award itself directly with the registrar of the school named.

Sources

This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.

United StatesUtahUnaccredited degreeDoctoratePublic employment

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