Coleman Report

As summer winds down, here’s a streamlined summary of the Blueacorn fraud saga. Highlights include Stephanie Hockridge’s conviction, Nathan Reis’s guilty plea, and the Karnezis brothers’ involvement in related PPP loan fraud schemes—all reflecting how Blueacorn evolved from an emergency lending facilitator into a vehicle for large-scale exploitation of pandemic relief funds. Stephanie Hockridge Convicted…

August 28, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Movers & Shakers: Kalia Clark, Tom Wilczynski, Monique Johnson & Jennifer Dubose TMC Financing Welcomes Kalia Clark to Advance SBA 504 Lending in Hawai‘i “It’s an honor to return home and be part of TMC’s mission to uplift Hawai‘i’s small business community,” said Clark. “The SBA 504 program…

August 27, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher A Coleman Conversation: Michael Bland In this week’s episode of A Coleman Conversation, Bob Coleman speaks with Michael Bland, Chief Credit Officer at Phoenix Lender Services. With over three decades in SBA lending, Michael shares lessons from his rewarding career in credit risk management, his approach to mentoring…

August 26, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher SBA Hot Topic Tuesday: SBA Employee Approves Insider Loans, Pleads Guilty to Loan Fraud On August 12, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced that Rena Barrett, a former SBA loan officer, pleaded guilty to making false statements in connection with pandemic relief…

August 25, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Main Street Monday: Small Biz State Loan Guaranty Programs – A Niche Lending Opportunity for Banks and Credit Unions Check out this list on ways to expand your small business portfolios while carefully managing risk. One often overlooked tool is the state and local loan guaranty program. Download…

August 22, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher The Fed, the Fraud, and the Fall of a Bank Executive Kellie Johnson, a longtime banking executive from Cullman, Alabama, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for embezzling more than $2.3 million from First Community Bank, where she served as Vice President, Chief Operating Officer,…

August 21, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Movers & Shakers: David Moored & Tom Francis Step Into New Roles David Moored Named Vice President of Business Development at ACC Capital “We are thrilled to have Dave join the ACC team. I’ve worked with him in the past and I know he is one of the…

August 20, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher In this week’s episode of A Coleman Conversation, Bob Coleman speaks with Stephanie Dunn, Chief Revenue Officer at Community Bank and Trust. Stephanie, a passionate and seasoned executive in small business lending, shares her inspiring journey from Montreal to the U.S. and her deep-seated belief in the American…

August 18, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Main Street Monday: Small Businesses Squeezed — Fed Shows Credit Tightens for Main Street The Federal Reserve’s July 2025 Senior Loan Officer Opinion Survey on Bank Lending Practices delivers a clear message for Main Street: small businesses are bearing the brunt of tight credit standards. While conditions have…

August 15, 2025 Bob ColemanFounder & Publisher Blueacorn Co-Founder Nathan Reis Pleads Guilty in PPP Loan Fraud Scandal Nathan Reis, co-founder of Blueacorn, has pled guilty to federal charges tied to fraudulent PPP loan applications, joining his wife and fellow co-founder, former Phoenix news anchor Stephanie Hockridge, as a convicted felon. Blueacorn was one of…