Legal panel discusses next steps in Epstein case
On “Fox News Sunday,” Shannon Bream led a legal discussion touching on various topics, including a video featuring Democrats allegedly defying orders, the imminent release of Epstein-related documents, the legality of deploying the National Guard in urban areas, and an upcoming Supreme Court case regarding Texas’s redistricting.
A former TV news anchor, who later became an entrepreneur, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for her role in a fraud scheme that took advantage of pandemic relief funds. Stephanie Hockridge, 42, convicted earlier this year by a federal grand jury, was found guilty of conspiring to commit wire fraud. Her prison time will be served in the same facility as Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker.
On Friday, Hockridge received her sentence, alongside an order to repay over $63 million. According to the Department of Justice, she was part of a fraudulent scheme to acquire more than $63 million in loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was instituted under the CARES Act.
Hockridge co-founded Blue Acorn in April 2020, a company meant to assist small businesses in securing PPP loans during the pandemic. Previously, she worked as an anchor for KNXV in Phoenix.
Internal messages from Blue Acorn revealed that Hockridge instructed her team to favor what were called “VIPPP” loan applicants, sometimes dismissing others outright. To obtain large loans for certain clients, she and her co-conspirators allegedly falsified payroll records, tax documents, and bank statements, additionally charging borrowers kickbacks based on loan amounts.
Despite the serious charges, Hockridge defended Blue Acorn as a legitimate effort to assist small businesses during a difficult time, insisting they acted in good faith.
Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence at the same facility for her involvement in a decade-long scheme with Jeffrey Epstein to exploit numerous underage girls. Other notable inmates include Elizabeth Holmes, who defrauded investors, and Jennifer Sher, a former reality TV star.
Neither Hockridge’s lawyer nor officials from the Federal Bureau of Prisons have commented on the case.
