Phoenix Man Arrested in $8 Million Public School Fraud Scheme
Jonathan Larry Ballew, a 62-year-old Phoenix resident, has been arrested by federal agents for his alleged leading role in an $8 million public school fraud and kickback scheme. Federal prosecutors accuse Ballew of collaborating 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, Ballew incorporated at least four shell companies that submitted millions of dollars in fraudulent invoices for educational services, technology, staffing, and remodeling work that was never performed. Between 2021 and 2024, Davenport allegedly approved over $8 million in payments to Ballew's entities, with Ballew kicking back more than $4 million to Davenport. The stolen funds were reportedly used to finance luxury vehicles and upscale real estate rentals, including a $30,000-per-month Miami mansion. 
