A former television news anchor has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay nearly $64 million in restitution for orchestrating a massive COVID-relief fraud scheme. Prosecutors say the defendant and her husband founded a company that submitted thousands of false applications for pandemic-era federal loans, enriching themselves while many genuine businesses were sidelined.
The anchor was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in June 2025 and is scheduled to begin her sentence later this year at the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas — the same facility now housing convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. The complex is a minimum-security federal camp with dormitory housing, reserved for inmates with lower security classifications.
Judge’s remarks at sentencing stressed the betrayal of taxpayer trust and the exploitation of an emergency program designed to help struggling enterprises. The court also noted the scale of the scheme and the high reimbursement order as among the largest fraud-related restitutions tied to the COVID relief effort.
The new inmate will serve her time in the federal system, followed by supervised release. The Justice Department said the case underscores its commitment to holding high-profile individuals accountable when they abuse government assistance programs.