Share this @internewscast.com
Legal panel discusses next steps in Epstein case
On a recent episode of ‘Fox News Sunday,’ Shannon Bream convened a legal panel to delve into several pressing issues. The discussion covered a Democratic video urging defiance of illegal orders, the anticipated release of Jeffrey Epstein files, the legality of National Guard deployment in certain cities, and the Supreme Court case concerning Texas’ redistricting efforts.
In a separate legal development, a former television anchor and now-entrepreneur has been sentenced to a decade in prison for her role in a COVID-era fraud scheme. Stephanie Hockridge, who was convicted of pilfering millions, will serve her sentence at the same Texas prison camp that houses notorious sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
Earlier this year, Hockridge, 42, was found guilty by a federal grand jury on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On Friday, she was sentenced to 10 years at a Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, and ordered to pay over $63 million in restitution, according to reports from the New York Post.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) detailed that Hockridge’s conviction stemmed from a scheme to illegitimately obtain more than $63 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, which were backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Hockridge co-founded Blueacorn, a lender service provider, in April 2020 with the stated goal of assisting small businesses and individuals in securing PPP loans during the pandemic, as noted by the DOJ. Prior to this venture, she was a news anchor for KNXV in Phoenix, the New York Post reported.
Evidence presented by the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis included Slack messages where Hockridge directed Blueacorn employees to delete non-VIPPP loan applications, favoring VIPPP clients over regular PPP borrowers. This screenshot highlights a priority for high-profile clients, which further compounded her legal troubles.
Screenshots of internal messages within Blueacorn show Hockdridge instructing staff to prioritize what were known as “VIPPP” clients over regular PPP borrowers.
“To get larger loans for certain PPP applicants, Hockridge and her co-conspirators fabricated documents, including payroll records, tax documentation and bank statements,” the DOJ wrote in a press release. “Hockridge and her co-conspirators charged borrowers kickbacks based on a percentage of the funds received.”
Ghislaine Maxwell is seen walking through the Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, on Sept. 20, 2025. (Matthew Symons/Mirrorpix/Mega)
Hockridge, however, claimed Blueacorn was a “sincere effort to support small businesses” during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Post.
The PPP was implemented to provide small businesses with funds to keep their workers on payroll, hire back employees who may have been laid off and cover applicable expenses like rent, utilities and mortgage interest during the pandemic.
The Federal Prison Camp in Bryan, Texas, is seen on Aug. 4, 2025. Ghislaine Maxwell was transferred here from FCI Tallahassee. Elizabeth Holmes and Jennifer Shah are also serving time inside. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Maxwell is serving her 20-year sentence at the same prison camp in Bryan for her role in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade.
Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes and former “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennifer Shah are also serving time at the same facility.
Neither Hockridge’s attorney nor the Federal Bureau of Prisons immediately returned Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
