BOSTON — The woman accused of posing as a Boston high school student has pleaded guilty to several charges stemming from the case.
Shelby Hewitt was accused of using fake names and birthdates to enroll in classes at three different high schools across Boston in 2022 and 2023, according to prosecutors.
In court on Tuesday, Hewitt pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery, identity fraud, and making a false claim to an employer. In exchange for the guilty pleas, prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining charges.
During the hearing, Hewitt apologized, telling the court she was “truly sorry for the harm that I know I have caused.”
As part of the court’s conditions, Hewitt is barred from going near Boston Public Schools, prohibited from working as a social worker, and required to undergo mental health treatment.
Her trial was slated to begin next Monday. Sentencing details were not immediately released.
At various times during the 2022-2023 school year, she attended Jeremiah E. Burke High School, Brighton High School, and English High School while using the student transfer process and enrolling under multiple pseudonyms, officials said.
The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families said Hewitt is a former employee of the state agency and says she was hired as a social worker by DCF from 2016 to 2017, during parts of 2018, and from December 2021 through February 2023.
In 2023, Hewitt was indicted on a slew of charges, including fraud, forgery, and larceny.
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