The Brief
- Federal agents arrested 62-year-old Phoenix resident Jonathan Ballew for his role in an $8 million kickback scheme targeting an Ohio public school.
- Ballew allegedly used four shell companies to send fake invoices for non-existent educational services, splitting over $4 million in illicit payouts with the school’s operator.
- The duo allegedly blew the stolen tax dollars on luxury cars and a $30,000-a-month Miami vacation lease, and both could now spend the rest of their lives in prison.
PHOENIX – A 62-year-old Phoenix man was arrested on Thursday by federal agents who say he played a leading role in an elaborate $8 million public school fraud and kickback scheme that allegedly funneled millions in taxpayer dollars toward luxury vehicles and a sprawling Miami mansion.
What we know:
Federal prosecutors say Jonathan Larry Ballew of Phoenix collaborated with former Ohio school superintendent Leondo Ramone Davenport to siphon public education funding from Dohn Community High School. According to a federal indictment unsealed in Cincinnati, the duo executed a multi-year fraudulent invoice scheme, splitting over $4 million in kickbacks to fund lavish personal lifestyles.…