FORT WORTH, TX — Stephanie Hockridge, a former news anchor, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for federal conspiracy.
The charges are in connection with Blueacorn, a paycheck protection program loan processing company during the pandemic, in which Hockridge was a co-founder.
ABC15 was in court in Fort Worth, Texas, on Friday when Hockridge learned her fate in her federal fraud case.
The judge ordered $64 million in restitution in the case, which will be forwarded to the Small Business Administration, which ran the PPP loan program. Hockridge and the other defendants will be jointly responsible for paying.
Hockridge was released from custody with an ankle monitor after her sentencing, while her attorney continues to seek a staggered sentence with her husband and file an appeal. She is ordered to self-report to prison on December 30.
Hockridge arrived at the federal courthouse about 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start of her sentencing on Friday morning.
In court filings Thursday, Hockridge’s attorney asked for her to receive either a non-prison sentence or a staggered sentence from her husband, Nathan Reis, who pleaded guilty to the PPP fraud conspiracy in August.
The couple has a one-year-old son, and federal judges sometimes make such accommodations for married defendants with young children.
Defense attorneys had also asked for Hockridge to be granted a new trial based on allegations that prosecutors failed to disclose certain materials prior to trial.
The judge in the case denied the request on Thursday.
Hockridge, who worked as an ABC15 news anchor from 2011 to 2018, was acquitted of four counts of wire fraud but convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in June 2025.
Hockridge started the financial tech company in Scottsdale with her husband, Nate Reis, and others in 2020.
WATCH: Blueacorn founder Nate Reis makes plea deal in PPP loan fraud case
During Hockridge’s trial, prosecutors said the couple and their co-conspirators submitted fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program applications to obtain forgivable COVID-19 relief loans for businesses and individuals.
The trial took an unexpected emotional turn as the former ABC15 newscaster sobbed and briefly left the courtroom after an FBI agent recounted the arrest of her husband.
WATCH: Former news anchor Stephanie Hockridge released with GPS monitor
Sentencing for Hockridge was originally scheduled for Oct. 10, 2025, but was pushed back to November 21. She faced up to 20 years in prison.
Reis, who previously pleaded guilty, is scheduled to be sentenced in December.
