Former ABC Anchor Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud

A former ABC anchor in Phoenix was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Stephanie Hockridge, 42, and her husband Nathan Reis, 46 were indicted last year for defrauding the government’s COVID-era Paycheck Protection Program, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Hockridge previously worked as an ABC15 anchor for many years.

The couple initially pleaded not guilty.

The indictment said the couple “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 two deliberately started a business called Blueacorn to “assist small businesses and individuals in obtaining PPP loans,” a service for which they took illegal kickbacks for.

“As part of the alleged scheme, Reis, Hockridge, and others expanded Blueacorn’s operations through lender service provider agreements (LSPAs) with two lenders,” the indictment said. With that company, they even founded a “VIPPP” service, where customers could pay extra to receive personalized services on how to obtain a greater amount of money from PPP loans.

Hockridge’s verdict was announced last Friday, following a week long trial.

Court records show she was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals service.

In the trial, the DOJ claimed the couple’s scheme involved fabricating payroll records and bank statements to obtain even more money.

Hockridge and her husband are being tried separately.