PHOENIX (KNXV) — A November court date has tentatively been set for federal appeals court judges to hear oral arguments in the Stephanie Hockridge wire fraud conspiracy case.
Hockridge, a former ABC15 news anchor, was convicted last year in the massive Blueacorn PPP loan fraud case. During a week-long trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Hockridge and co-conspirators fraudulently obtained federal government loans for themselves and others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A judge sentenced her to ten years in prison, but she has been allowed to delay the start of that sentence while she appeals her conviction.
The appeal includes several claims, including that the trial court excluded exculpatory exhibits, the jury was given improper instructions, and the trial occurred in the wrong venue.
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Hockridge's husband, Nathan Reis, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and is serving his 10-year sentence in an Oregon prison.
A judge has permitted Hockridge to travel to visit him in both August and September.
The couple is also appealing court-ordered joint restitution of more than $60 million. They have not been required to pay pending that appeal.
In court filings, federal prosecutors argue evidence of Hockridge's guilt is overwhelming; the district court's evidentiary and jury-charge rulings were correct; and any error would not have changed the jury's verdict.
