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From the New York Post: Stephanie Hockridge, a former Phoenix news anchor-turned-fintech entrepreneur, has been convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a federal case involving hundreds of millions of dollars in COVID relief funds.
A jury in the Northern District of Texas found Hockridge guilty on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was acquitted on four additional counts of wire fraud. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 10.
Hockridge’s conviction was announced on Friday.
According to federal prosecutors and investigative reports, Hockridge and her husband, Nathan Reis, fraudulently obtained over $300,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for themselves, including one application that falsely claimed he was a veteran and an African American.
The couple’s Scottsdale-based fintech firm, Blueacorn, which they co-founded in 2020, processed over $12.5 billion in PPP loans — with somewhere between $250 million and $300 million going to the company’s ownership, including Hockridge.
In a separate report, AZCentral.com explained: The couple then created a service dubbed “VIPPP,” where they coached borrowers on how to file fraudulent PPP loan applications and received kickbacks tied to the loan size, according to their indictment.
A jury found Hockridge guilty of conspiring to commit wire fraud but not guilty of four counts of wire fraud. She faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.
Earlier this month, Fox10 Phoenix anchor Ellen McNamar announced, “Federal fraud trial for former @abc15 anchor Stephanie Hockridge and hubby underway in Ft. Worth. Got hands on long exhibit list from prosecution. Includes photo of woman in bathtub holding stacks of money. Messages calling Stephanie “the MVP.””
Federal fraud trial for former @abc15 anchor Stephanie Hockridge and hubby underway in Ft. Worth. Got hands on long exhibit list from prosecution. Includes photo of woman in bathtub holding stacks of money. Messages calling Stephanie “the MVP.” @FOX10Phoenix pic.twitter.com/TsRuxnsdys
— Ellen McNamara (@Fox10Ellen) June 10, 2025
Ex-ABC15 anchor Stephanie Hockridge convicted of conspiracy in COVID-19 relief loan scheme https://t.co/ihsOACuc4J
— azcentral (@azcentral) June 21, 2025
READ MORE from the New York Post.
