ABC Anchor’s Husband Pleads Guilty in Fraud Case

After an ABC affiliate anchor was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in late June, a similar fate has befallen her husband.

Nathan Reis, 46, and his wife Stephanie Hockridge, a 42-year-old former anchor at ABC15, were indicted last year for defrauding the government’s COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The couple initially pleaded not guilty, but Hockridge was found guilty on June 20 of this year after a week-long trial. Last Monday, Reis changed his tune, and signed a plea deal where he agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy. He previously faced five charges.

The DOJ’s indictment said the two of them “submitted false and fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of themselves and their businesses, including by fabricating documents that they submitted in their loan applications in order to receive loan funds for which they were not eligible,” and that the couple started a business called Blueacorn specifically to “assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans,” a service for which they profited by taking illegal kickbacks for.

The couple also fabricated tax documents, bank statements, and more to allow them and their clients to profit off of the PPP program even more. During Hockridge’s trial, her lawyers argued the company was “a sincere effort to support small businesses during a time of unprecedented need” and tried to shift blame solely to her husband.

However, digital documentation proved that untrue. A text message unearthed in court showed that she texted Reis “This is us trying to apply for free money — when we don’t quite qualify. lol” during the peak of their fraudulent activities.