Phoenix businesswoman gets 2 years in prison for using COVID-19 relief funds to pay for luxuries

PHOENIX — A Phoenix businesswoman was sentenced to two years in prison on Tuesday for her role in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme against the Small Business Administration (SBA), authorities said.

Bridget O’Brien will also have to pay over $1.2 million in restitution fees in the Arizona SBA fraud case, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

After her prison sentence, O’Brien will spend three years on probation.

What did defendant in Arizona SBA fraud case do?

O’Brien once ran a prominent special needs therapy business for Arizona children, according to 12News.

However, prosecutors said she misused federal funds meant to help small businesses weather the COVID-19 pandemic to pay for a $1.9 million home in Phoenix, among other luxuries.

Her crimes date back to 2020. She applied for $2.9 million in SBA loans between March 2020 and January 2021, prosecutors said.

What did businesswoman do with money stolen through SBA fraud?

O’Brien’s SBA fraud also paid for personal dining, travel, clothing, home furniture, tuition payments, rent payments for her rental home and volleyball lessons for her child, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

“This egregious misuse of taxpayer funds for lavish personal expenses is unacceptable and my office will continue to investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in fraud,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a Wednesday news release.

O’Brien’s applications for 23 loans grossly misrepresented her companies. This dishonesty allowed her to obtain loan funds for her shell companies, holding companies and real estate ventures, prosecutors said.

“My office is committed to holding fraudsters accountable and protecting the interests of Arizona taxpayers,” Mayes said.

O’Brien is one of several individuals with Arizona ties accused of SBA loan fraud. In one high-profile case, former ABC15 newscaster Stephanie Hockridge and her husband, Nathan Reis, were indicted in November 2024 on federal charges for an alleged fraud conspiracy.