A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced a Berkeley, Missouri, woman to two years in prison after determining she fraudulently sought more than $1.1 million in pandemic-related business loans and misused federal relief funds.
Joshua M. Divine imposed the sentence on Bridgette Johnson, 61, and ordered her to pay a $75,000 fine. The court also required Johnson to repay $129,000 she obtained through fraudulent loan applications.
Court records show Johnson applied for and received $120,000 through the Paycheck Protection Program by falsely claiming that one of the businesses she registered in Missouri, Compassion at Home, would use the funds to retain employees and cover legitimate operating expenses. She later sought forgiveness of the loan, asserting the money had been spent for authorized purposes…