A former Phoenix, Arizona television news anchor, Stephanie Hockridge, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for defrauding a loan program aimed at helping businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic , the Justice Department said.

Newsweek contacted Hockridge’s attorney for comment by email after business hours.

Why It Matters

The sentencing comes as efforts are being made to hold accountable those who exploited relief measures accountable, in the United States and also in other countries.

Billions of dollars of pandemic relief funds were stolen in the United States as the government rushed to cushion the economic impact of the novel coronavirus as it swept around the world, beginning in early 2020. Newsweek reported in December 2021 that nearly $100 billion, largely unemployment and

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