Federal agents arrested a 62-year-old Phoenix resident this week in a case that, prosecutors say, funneled millions from an Ohio community school into luxury housing and other high-end expenditures. A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the Phoenix man and a former school superintendent with a multi-year fraud scheme involving at least $8 million in purportedly improper payments.
Allegations and charges
According to court documents, Jonathan Larry Ballew of Phoenix and Leondo Ramone Davenport of Cincinnati were arrested after being indicted on charges that include wire fraud and engaging in monetary transactions involving proceeds of unlawful activity. Prosecutors say the pair created and used companies that purported to provide services to Dohn Community High School in Cincinnati, submitting false invoices to justify payments.
“We’re putting an end to fraudsters exploiting public trust and profiting off of the American taxpayer,”
The U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Dominick S. Gerace II, made the statement in announcing the indictment. Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division added that the scheme took funds meant for students, saying,
“Education dollars exist to support the learning and development of American children — not to fund the lifestyles of unscrupulous school officials.”
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
Prosecutors allege that Ballew established at least four companies that claimed to provide educational services, staffing, technology and construction work to Dohn Community High School. From 2021 to 2024, those companies allegedly sent the school invoices that the indictment says were fake. Davenport, who served as the school’s superintendent from 2015 to 2019 and subsequently continued to run the school through a limited liability company until 2024, is accused of approving the payments.
- Investigators say more than $8 million in payments were authorized to Ballew’s companies.
- Prosecutors allege Ballew returned more than $4 million to Davenport as kickbacks.
- The charges include wire fraud and engaging in monetary transactions with money obtained illegally, carrying potential prison terms.
Specific luxury expenditures cited by prosecutors
Court records cited by federal prosecutors include examples of how the allegedly misdirected funds were spent. In one instance, Davenport and Ballew are said to have signed a two-year lease in October 2023 for a vacation property near Miami carrying a monthly rent of $30,000. Prosecutors also allege the men used the funds to buy luxury cars and pay for upscale rental homes.
| Item | Alleged amount or note |
|---|---|
| Total authorized payments to Ballew’s companies | $8,000,000+ |
| Amount returned to Davenport as kickbacks | $4,000,000+ |
| Monthly rent for cited Miami property | $30,000 |
Legal exposure and next steps
Both men face a count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, and a count related to conducting monetary transactions with proceeds of illegal activity, which can carry up to 10 years. The indictment signals federal prosecutors are pursuing accountability for what they describe as a multi-year exploitation of public education funds.
In its announcement, the Justice Department characterized the case as part of its broader effort to pursue financial wrongdoing that harms public institutions and taxpayers. The arrests followed an investigation that culminated in the grand jury indictment and the Thursday morning arrests by federal authorities.
The indictment and statements from prosecutors do not provide details on whether any of the allegedly misdirected funds have been recovered or how the school intends to respond. Dohn Community High School is designated under Ohio law as a community school, a type of public school that operates independently of a local district; the indictment ties the alleged scheme to the school’s operations between 2019 and 2024.
As the case proceeds through the federal courts, it raises questions about oversight of contracts and payments at charter-like community schools and the safeguards that protect public education dollars. The indictment names specific alleged failures but the defendants are entitled to due process; they will have the opportunity to answer the charges in court.
