Stephen T Manning’s qualifications that he so loves boasting about are actually bought from an unaccredited “diploma mill”. (Read more details on the post on his ‘academic fraud’.) Diploma Mills are a big problem in the United States, and it can be illegal as well as immoral in some states (e.g. Florida and Maine) to make fraudulent claim of academic degree or title.
“The 2003 Florida Statutes (link)
Title XLVI
CRIMES Chapter 817
FRAUDULENT PRACTICES817.567 Making false claims of academic degree or title.–
(1) No person in the state may claim, either orally or in writing, to possess an academic degree, as defined in s. 1005.02, or the title associated with said degree, unless the person has, in fact, been awarded said degree from an institution that is:
(a) Accredited by a regional or professional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education or the Commission on Recognition of Postsecondary Accreditation;
(b) Provided, operated, and supported by a state government or any of its political subdivisions or by the Federal Government;
(c) A school, institute, college, or university chartered outside the United States, the academic degree from which has been validated by an accrediting agency approved by the United States Department of Education as equivalent to the baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally accredited college or university in the United States;
(d) Licensed by the 1State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities pursuant to ss. 1005.01-1005.38 or exempt from licensure pursuant to 2s. 246.085; or
(e) A religious seminary, institute, college, or university which offers only educational programs that prepare students for a religious vocation, career, occupation, profession, or lifework, and the nomenclature of whose certificates, diplomas, or degrees clearly identifies the religious character of the educational program.
(2) No person awarded a doctorate degree from an institution not listed in subsection (1) shall claim in the state, either orally or in writing, the title “Dr.” before the person’s name or any mark,appellation, or series of letters, numbers, or words, such as, but not limited to, “Ph.D.,” “Ed.D.,” “D.N.,” or “D.Th.,” which signifies, purports, or is generally taken to signify satisfactory completion of the requirements of a doctorate degree, after the person’s name.
(3)(a) A person who violates the provisions of subsection (1) or subsection (2) commits a misdemeanor of the first degree,punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
(b) In addition to any penalty imposed under paragraph (a), a violator shall be subject to any other penalty provided by law, including, but not limited to, suspension or revocation of the violator’s license or certification to practice an occupation or profession.
History.–s. 2, ch. 89-40; s. 32, ch. 94-310; s. 1039, ch. 2002-387.
1 Note.–Section 246.031, which created the State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities, was repealed by s. 1058, ch. 2002-387.
2 Note.–Repealed by s. 1058, ch. 2002-387. Similar material is now found at s. 1005.32.
- Here’s the law in Maine.
Maine Revised Statute Title 20-A, Chapter 410:FALSE ACADEMIC DEGREES OR CERTIFICATES (link)”
There may well be other states and countries than the above where such activity is also illegal. However even knowing just the above, we have enough to show that criminal offences are apparently being presently committed in the USA by Stephen T Manning and his Checkpoint Press by offering for sale goods with false claim to academic title to those specific states where such activity is illegal.
Stephen T Manning’s own two books, The Color of Truth, (ironic title that, given the author’s behaviour) (see link where it is on sale) and Psychology, Symbolism and The Sacred, (link) clearly imply the author has a genuine Ph.D. These titles are being offered for sale throughout the whole of the USA (and beyond)– including to the states of Florida and Maine where making false claims as to academic title is illegal and an arrestable offence as has already been shown. And even putting aside legality, the book-buying public everywhere are also being misled, which is no small thing.
I’m not a lawyer, but I have been informed by a Floridian lawyer that this is an arrestable offence, even though Checkpoint Press is presently operating from Dooagh Village, Achill Island, Co. Mayo, Ireland. The lawyer said if ever Stephen T Manning touches down ground in Florida all someone has to do is call the cops to get Manning arrested for this activity.
– Written by Sleuth For Truth, May 31 2009
Wondereraround's Blog 
Inquistitor said
He claims to offer teaching services up to degree level. Strange as he doesn’t even have a first degree himself. Judging by his qualifications he would barely have the entry requirements for an acrcedited UK first degree let alone his rather doubtful ‘post graduate’ phD. His continual reference to his unaccreditied USA diploma mill ‘doctorate’ is highly misleading imo.