An Australian woman was sentenced Tuesday to at least one year in prison for lying on her resume to land a $185,000 a year government job, according to a report.
Veronica Hilda Theriault, 45, was charged in September 2017 with deception, dishonestly dealing with documents and abuse of public office, ABC reported. She pleaded guilty to all the charges.
On Tuesday, District Court Judge Michael Boylan gave Theriault 25 months in jail, 12 of which are not eligible for parole.
Boylan said Theriault applied for the job of chief information officer with the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DBC). The application was filled with false references, a fabricated education, and an embellished work history, he said.
“That CV led to you being interviewed for the job – you supplied that document to the Department of Premier and Cabinet and [it] is the basis for dishonestly dealing with documents,” Boylan said.
Boylan also said Theriault pretended to be one of the references when a recruiter called as part of the hiring process.
“She gave glowing feedback at your performance, but in fact you were impersonating Ms. Best,” Boylan said. “The real Ms. Best had not given you a reference.”
The court also heard arguments that Theriault was employed in the position for about a month before her mental health declined and her fraud was uncovered, ABC reported.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
