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Ex-Phoenix anchor Stephanie Hockridge gets 10 years for orchestrating one of the biggest PPP frauds. How she and her husband stole $63M in COVID relief funds.

The convicted individual, Rosalend Way, 40, was found guilty of wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering after a three-day trial in the Middle District of Georgia. Prosecutors say she and a co‑defendant, James Frank Austin of Americus, strategically misrepresented payroll data and company ownership to secure millions in PPP funds guaranteed by the Small Business Administration.

Reis, aged 47 and residing in Puerto Rico after relocating from Arizona, admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud, orchestrating fake Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications through Blueacorn.

Federal prosecutors continue their aggressive pursuit of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud, with two recent high-profile convictions demonstrating that the Department of Justice remains committed to holding fraudsters accountable nearly five years after the pandemic began.