A year-old Arizona woman who operated a therapy clinic for children with special needs is going to prison after a conviction of fraud for misusing pandemic-era loans from the federal government. A Maricopa County Superior Court judge last week sentenced Bridget Corinne O'Brien to two years in prison followed by three years of probation for taking advantage of programs that were put in place to help businesses stay afloat during the COVID pandemic.
O'Brien also used the money to travel, to purchase clothing and furniture, and to pay for volleyball lessons for one of her children, investigators found.
Crimes and sentencings: Arkansas teen homicide suspect could have ties to Phoenix, police say. O'Brien, a mother of two who has a master's degree in speech pathology, founded a Phoenix therapy clinic for children called Head to Toe Therapy, which was suspended as a provider for Arizona's Medicaid program in November , state Medicaid and court records show.
A presentence report says that O'Brien's actions were "thoughtful, intentional and perhaps prohibited money from being given to another business owner in need during a difficult time. Her loan applications contained "gross material misrepresentations" that allowed her to fraudulently obtain loans, which she subsequently misused to finance a luxurious lifestyle, state investigators found.
Small Business Administration. The presentence report says that between March 31 and Jan. The company was first incorporated in , state records show. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bridget Corinne O'Brien sentenced to prison after misusing loans.
