Taxpayer dollars earmarked for education spent on Miami vacation property

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(The Center Square) – Taxpayer dollars intended for a public charter school in Ohio instead were instead spent on $30,000 per month in rent on a luxury vacation property near Miami, according to a new federal indictment.

Leondo Ramone Davenport, 50, of Cincinnati, and Jonathan Larry Ballew, 62, of Phoenix, Arizona, have been charged in a $8 million fraud and kickback scheme, according to prosecutors.

Davenport was superintendent of Dohn Community High School from 2015 to 2019. The school was incorporated as a non-profit addiction recovery program for high school students.

“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.”

According to the indictment, from 2021 to 2024, “Davenport and Ballew participated in a kickback scheme to defraud the school,” a news release said. “Ballew allegedly submitted false and fraudulent invoices to Dohn on behalf of the entities he controlled. Davenport allegedly authorized Dohn to pay the invoices and received a kickback in return. In total, during this time, Davenport allegedly authorized Dohn to pay over $8 million to Ballew and Ballew correspondingly paid over $4 million back to Davenport.”

Attorney Adam Brown, who has previously represented Davenport, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ohio State Auditor Keith Faber, called the case “an egregious kickback scheme by individuals using taxpayer resources to enrich themselves.

He praised federal prosecutors.

“Thanks to the good work of the U.S. Attorney, the FBI and our other partners in law enforcement for pursuing justice in this case,” Faber said. “. Our investigation also continues, and we look forward to working alongside the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office to ensure everyone involved in these crimes is held accountable for their actions.”