CINCINNATI, Ohio (WOWO) — A former Ohio charter school superintendent and an Arizona businessman are facing federal charges in an alleged $8 million fraud and kickback scheme that prosecutors say diverted money intended for students and the school into the defendants’ personal interests.
Leondo Ramone Davenport, 50, of Cincinnati, and Jonathan Larry Ballew, 62, of Phoenix, Arizona, are accused of using fraudulent invoices and kickbacks to funnel millions of dollars through Dohn Community High School, according to a federal indictment announced Monday.
Davenport served as superintendent of Dohn Community High School from 2015 through 2019. The Cincinnati school was established as a nonprofit program serving high school students, including students participating in addiction-recovery services.
Prosecutors allege the scheme operated from 2021 through 2024, after Davenport’s tenure as superintendent.
According to the indictment, Ballew allegedly submitted fraudulent invoices to Dohn through businesses he controlled. Davenport then allegedly authorized the school to pay those invoices.
Federal prosecutors say more than $8 million was ultimately paid by the school to Ballew and entities he controlled.
Of that amount, prosecutors allege Ballew paid more than $4 million back to Davenport as kickbacks.
The indictment also alleges that money connected to the scheme was used for personal expenses, including approximately $30,000 a month in rent for a luxury property in the Miami area.
Federal officials described the alleged conduct as a deliberate misuse of money intended for education.
“This indictment alleges a brazen scheme that stole from both taxpayers and students,” U.S. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald said in a statement. “Education dollars exist to support the learning and development of American children — not to fund the lifestyles of unscrupulous school officials.”
The allegations center on invoices that prosecutors say did not represent legitimate services provided to the school.
Instead, federal authorities allege Ballew used companies he controlled to generate the invoices, while Davenport used his position to approve the payments and received substantial kickbacks in return.
The case is another example of federal investigators targeting alleged financial misconduct involving publicly funded education programs.
The charges are allegations, and Davenport and Ballew are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in federal court.
An attorney who has previously represented Davenport, Adam Brown, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The federal investigation and prosecution will determine how the alleged payments were authorized, where the money ultimately went and whether additional individuals or entities were involved.
For Dohn Community High School, the allegations involve money that prosecutors say should have been available to support the school’s educational mission and the students it serves.
The case now moves forward through the federal court system, where prosecutors will have to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
