ARIZONA NEWS

2 people from out of state charged with defrauding Arizona school voucher program

Dec 2, 2024, 10:45 AM | Updated: 1:47 pm

Two people from out of state have been charged with defrauding the Arizona school voucher program....

Two people from out of state have been charged with defrauding the Arizona school voucher program. (Getty Images File Photo)

(Getty Images File Photo)

PHOENIX – Two people from out of state have been indicted for allegedly defrauding the Arizona school voucher program of over $100,000, authorities announced Monday.

Johnny Lee Bowers and Ashley Meredith Hewitt, aka Ashley Hopkins, are accused of submitting Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) applications for 50 children, 43 of whom do not exist, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

The applications were made with fraudulent documents such as birth certificates, utility bills and lease agreements. Bowers and Hewitt allegedly submitted them under their own names as well as under the names of made-up “ghost” parents, prosecutors said.

Bowers and Hewitt were indicted last month on one count each of conspiracy and fraudulent schemes/artifices and 60 counts of forgery.

Prosecutors said the pair received about $110,000 from the ESA program and spent it on personal living expenses in Colorado. They now apparently live in Utah, the AG’s Office said.

How was fraudulent ESA activity detected?

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the Department of Education submitted the matter, and other suspected fraud cases, to the AG’s Office.

“I am pleased that prosecutions are following in the cases we sent to the Attorney General’s Office,” he said in a statement.

Horne added that he is determined to eliminate ESA fraud.

“Upon taking office, I hired an auditor who had been in the Auditor General’s Office for 15 years and who is now in charge of the ESA program, as well as an investigator. Those two positions had not existed under my predecessor,” he said.

What is the Arizona school voucher program?

The Arizona school voucher program allows families who don’t send their kids to public schools to be reimbursed for some of their educational expenses, including private school tuition and homeschooling supplies.

The program, which was created in 2011, was originally limited to schoolchildren with disabilities or who met other specific criteria. But it became universal after the Republican-led Legislature and then-Gov. Doug Ducey removed the limitations in 2022 in the name of school choice.

Opponents of the universal expansion argued that the system would largely benefit wealthy families who already were paying for private schools and hurt public schools by siphoning away money.

In August 2023, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show she worried ESAs would be susceptible to fraud due to the program’s rapid growth and lack of controls.

Beth Lewis, executive director of public school advocacy group Save Our Schools Arizona and a vocal critic of universal vouchers, blamed lawmakers for approving the expansion without sufficient oversight.

“Arizona’s ESA voucher program is wide open for fraud and abuse — and the Republican majority in the Arizona Legislature has refused to add any oversight or accountability,” Lewis said in statement Monday. “Misuse and outright fraud will continue to abound until lawmakers add serious guardrails to this off-the-rails entitlement program.”

Recently, many parents have been complaining about how long the reimbursements take. Horne has blamed the issue on insufficient staffing.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Peoria Police department...

Roxanne De La Rosa

Peoria police search for vandals who caused $30-40K worth of park damage

The Peoria Police Department is asking the public for help in finding the suspect responsible for vandalizing and causing tens of thousands of dollars of damage to a local park.

4 hours ago

Phoenix-Pittsburgh nonstop flight offered through Allegiant...

Serena O'Sullivan

Fly high: Phoenix travelers getting new nonstop flight option for Pittsburgh through Allegiant

Planning a business trip? You can now book a Phoenix-Pittsburgh nonstop flight through Allegiant at Sky Harbor International Airport.

5 hours ago

fentanyl pills, fentanyl bust Phoenix...

Roxanne De La Rosa

Phoenix man charged after police seized 100,000 fentanyl pills

A man in Phoenix was pulled over by police during a routine traffic stop, which led to the seizure of about 100,000 blue fentanyl pills.

6 hours ago

Thomas Galvin AZ Political Podcast...

Jim Sharpe

AZ Political Podcast: Thomas Galvin on public funding for sports teams, speed of election results

On this week's edition of AZ Political Podcast, Thomas Galvin discusses public funding for sports teams and how election results can be sped up.

7 hours ago

US 60 between Superior and Miami will be closed until Friday due to blasting work that was performe...

David Veenstra

US 60 between Superior, Miami reopens following blasting

US 60 between Superior and Miami has reopened following blasting work that was performed in the area.

8 hours ago

Maricopa County 1 of 4 pharmacists sentenced for fraud...

Serena O'Sullivan

Maricopa County pharmacist among 4 sentenced in fraud conspiracy

A Maricopa County pharmacist named Raef Hamaed was one of four pharmacists sentenced for their roles in a $13 million conspiracy, officials said.

9 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Asset Preservation Wealth & Tax

How to optimize the most money in 2024 tax returns

As tax season begins, getting your financials in order is important to maximize your tax return.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

Fiesta Bowl Foundation

Join us for the 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade

The 52nd annual Vrbo Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe returns on Saturday, December 28, at 10 a.m.

2 people from out of state charged with defrauding Arizona school voucher program