Former Ohio school superintendent and business partner indicted in alleged $8 million kickback scheme

The U.S. Department of Justice said a federal grand jury indicted Leondo Ramone Davenport and Jonathan Larry Ballew on wire fraud and related charges. The indictment alleges that, from 2021 to 2024, Ballew submitted false invoices to Dohn Community High School and that Davenport authorised payments exceeding $8 million, receiving more than $4 million in return. Both men were arrested; the allegations have not been proven in court.

The defendants face charges carrying potential prison sentences of up to 20 years for wire fraud and up to 10 years for monetary transactions involving unlawfully derived property. The source reports charges only and does not indicate pleas, convictions or settlement findings.