Federal prosecutors have indicted two men on charges they diverted more than $8 million from an Ohio charter school through a kickback scheme, with proceeds allegedly used to pay $30,000 a month in rent on a luxury vacation property near Miami.
Leondo Ramone Davenport, 50, of Cincinnati, and Jonathan Larry Ballew, 62, of Phoenix, Arizona, face charges in connection with the scheme, according to prosecutors. Davenport served as 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.
According to the indictment, from 2021 to 2024 Ballew submitted false and fraudulent invoices to Dohn on behalf of entities he controlled. Davenport allegedly authorized the school to pay those invoices and received a kickback in return. Prosecutors say Davenport authorized Dohn to pay over $8 million to Ballew, who in turn paid over $4 million back to Davenport.
“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.”
Attorney Adam Brown, who has previously represented Davenport, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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