BOSTON — A Brockton woman who worked as a medical technician for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been sentenced to one year of probation for fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program loans, the U.S. attorney's office in Massachusetts said.

Denise Baez, 52, was sentenced in federal court in Boston by Senior U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris. Baez pleaded guilty in July to two counts of wire fraud after being charged in April, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Baez submitted two applications for Paycheck Protection Program loans that falsely claimed gross income from a sole proprietorship, and attached fraudulent tax documents to support those claims. The applications were approved, and Baez received $41,666, which she spent on personal expenses, prosecutors said.

In September 2021, Baez submitted applications to have the loans forgiven that falsely claimed the entire $41,666 had been spent on payroll, according to the U.S. attorney's office. The loans were forgiven based on that misrepresentation, prosecutors said.

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