Arizona grand jury indicts pair for alleged school voucher fraud

Arizona AG indicts two nonresidents for defrauding school voucher program - Washington Examiner

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes indicted two out-of-state residents for allegedly defrauding the state’s school voucher program over $100,000. According to the indictment, Johnny Lee Bowers and Ashley Meredith Hewitt, who also uses the name Ashley Hopkins, submitted applications to Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program for more than 50 children, both real and fake, using “false, forged, or fraudulent documentation.” Bowers and He…

Attorney General Mayes Announces Indictments in ESA Program Fraud Case

PHOENIX — Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Monday that a state grand jury has indicted two out-of-state residents, Johnny Lee Bowers and Ashley Meredith Hewitt (also known as Ashley Hopkins), on multiple felony counts, including conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. The defendants allegedly exploited Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program by submitting fraudulent applications for… Source

Alleged Abuse of Arizona School Choice Program First Flagged by State Superintendent, Given to Attorney General | The Star News Network

Tom Horne, the Arizona State Superintendent of Education, reportedly stated Monday that the alleged abuse of the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) system by two Colorado residents was first flagged by his office, which reported it to Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes for possible criminal prosecution. Mayes announced on Monday that a grand jury indicted Johnny Bowers and Ashley Hewitt with filing fraudulent applications for 50 stud…

Two Out Of State Residents Reported By Arizona Department Of Education Indicted For ESA Program Fraud

A state grand jury has indicted two out-of-state residents, Johnny Lee Bowers and Ashley Meredith Hewitt, a.k.a. Ashley Hopkins, after the duo allegedly defrauded Arizona's school choice program of over $100,000. According to Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne, “The Department of Education submitted this matter to the Attorney General‘s office and submitted...

Arizona grand jury indicts pair for alleged school voucher fraud

PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona grand jury has indicted two out-of-state residents for allegedly applying to the state’s private school voucher program as

More indictments related to voucher program come, Horne touts safeguards

A state grand jury returned another fraud indictment related to the Empowerment Scholarship Account program Monday based on allegations two non-Arizona residents siphoned $110,000 from the program by using falsified documents to create 50 accounts for real and fictitious children.  The latest indictment is the third associated with ESA in the past two years, bringing renewed scrutiny and more calls for further legislative oversight. But Superint…