Newspapers had a tough time in the recession with many shutting down, cutting staff, or starting mandatory furloughs. Kevin Provencher, a reporter at the New Hampshire Union Leader had an interesting idea on how to weather the storm. He became a pimp. This week, he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for running a prostitution ring out of his local SpringHill Suites hotel.

Provencher employed two women, “Jane Doe” and “Jill Doe.” He would advertise their services on Craigslist. On Friday and Saturday nights, he’d go to the SpringHill Suites and get a room,…