Stephanie Sierra
From fraud and corruption to health care and public safety - her beat encompasses a little bit of everything.
Over the past four years at KGO-TV, she has been committed to exposing abuse of power and taxpayer money at every level of government. These stories have exposed well-known nonprofits, politicians, and influential billionaires.
In 2023, she won a regional Emmy for her investigation into a local county Sheriff accused of favoring campaign donors when issuing concealed carry permits. The story prompted action from the FBI's political corruption unit and the county Board of Supervisors. As a result, a local oversight organization fought to ensure accountability and transparency in future operations within the department.
Her investigations have exposed loopholes in numerous state laws that have resulted in added protections for wildfire insurance, medical billing, and regional cybersecurity practices. In April, her series on Oakland's ransomware hack revealed a pattern of oversight and negligence - causing dozens of people who had their social security numbers leaked but were never notified by the city.
In February, she exposed concerns about sex trafficking operations outside a grade school in Oakland that prompted action from local and federal authorities to install barricades and cameras to deter the crime.
Stephanie reported extensively on public health during the pandemic. Her work shed light on critical new medical technologies-including a Bay Area COVID-testing company that worked with the California Dept. of Public Health to save the State tens of millions of dollars with processing costs.
While at ABC7, her public health and consumer reporting have received multiple Emmy nominations from the Northern California Academy of Arts & Sciences and prompted action by the FDA.
She's also covered the gruesome murder trials of Chris Watts and Patrick Frazee in Colorado to the high-profile fraud trial of Elizabeth Holmes on the Peninsula.
Her passion for journalism started during her time at Mercy High School in Burlingame. "Career Day" transformed into a lifelong pursuit of storytelling. She graduated from the University of Missouri, majoring in broadcast journalism with a focus on investigative journalism.
After graduating, she braved the bomb cyclone blizzards and high altitude of the Rockies at the ABC affiliate in Colorado Springs (KRDO-TV) as an anchor and investigative reporter. Her year-long investigation uncovering the illicit massage industry in southern Colorado resulted in six women being rescued from human trafficking operations. It was honored with a regional Emmy and two National Edward R. Murrow awards. This followed years of consumer reporting on widespread contractor scams that prompted action by the Federal Trade Commission.
Stephanie is happy to be back home in the Bay Area, surrounded by the ocean views and majestic redwoods. You can often find her in San Francisco's Marina district with her 5-year-old dog Bubba!
If you have a story idea or want to say hello - contact her at Stephanie.K.Sierra@abc.com or on social platforms @StephanieABC7 & @StephanieKSierra.
Stephanie's Stories
Gas company leads elderly residents into unknowingly agreeing to pricey contracts, recordings show
"They keep pushing, pushing, pushing and get her to say yes...it either made you angry or want to cry." Hear recordings of calls where Bay Area elderly residents get switched to a third-party gas company that charged double.
Reformed Nigerian scammer describes how he swindled $70,000 from Bay Area victims
An international scammer is admitting how he stole from innocent people and is now using the skills to help a company track his predecessors.
SF ultrasound clinic using FDA-approved AI to help detect types of breast cancer faster
The typical breast screening age is 40 for mammography. Ultrasound screening is often preferred for younger patients, as it's free of radiation and there's no age restriction or doctor referral needed.
Nearly deaf CA woman loses $10,000 to scam typed on her CapTel phone
Federal law requires operators type every word a caller says -- even if it's a scammer. One Bay Area family found out their nearly-deaf mom followed a scammer's instructions -- typed verbatim by CapTel operators -- and lost $10,000 in a terrifying scam.
How strong are Bay Area bridges? Here's what ABC7 I-Team uncovered
How strong are Bay Area bridges? The ABC7 News I-Team did a deep dive into the durability of our local bridges. Here's what they found.
CA woman tricked into putting $20K in box, handing it to complete stranger
"I walked out to the road and gave this guy a box with $20,000 dollars in it. And nobody was holding a gun to my head.'' said Santa Rosa resident Judy G.
Nearly 14K abandoned cars reportedly dumped in Oakland over 6 months, prompting tow bill controversy
A stolen car gets dumped on your property in Oakland, now you have to pay for it to be towed. The I-Team went for a ride-along with Councilmember Noel Gallo and his staff to see the volume on the streets.
4-year-old overcomes rare form of leukemia with support of CA camp for kids facing cancer
Meet 4-year-old Beckett Boznanski and his family who found support at Camp Okizu, where thousands of childhood cancer patients come to feel united. And while the camp is searching for a new permanent home after fire damage in 2020, Okizu's magic lives on.
Oakland nursing home faces lawsuit alleging rape, neglect and fraud after 'hiding problems'
A nursing home facility in East Oakland is facing a lawsuit alleging rape, elder neglect and fraud. The complaint is raising questions about one of the largest skilled-nursing home operators in the state. The victim is battling Alzheimer's and dementia. A warning, some viewers may find the story disturbing.
Aspiring SF chefs using culinary training to overcome homelessness, addiction
The Salvation Army's culinary training helps aspiring San Francisco chefs to overcome homelessness and addiction -- and get a second chance at life.