Three former Arizona Department of Education employees charged with crimes defraud over $600,000 From state vouchers, Associated Press It was reported on Thursday.
Delores Lachey Sweet, Dorian Lamar Jones, and Jennifer Lopez were charged with conspiracy and money laundering for approving voucher applications for five fictitious students. The three employees allegedly falsified birth certificates and special education evaluations in order to collect additional money for the fabricated children.
The state Department of Education has fired employees accused of using taxpayer-funded vouchers to buy luxury goods. Sweet’s adult children, Jadaka Celeste Johnson and Raymond Lamont Johnson Jr., were also charged with their participation in the alleged scandal.
Arizona Democratic Attorney General Chris Mays press release On Thursday, those allegedly involved in the scheme were charged with engaging in “fraud, conspiracy, computer tampering, unlawful business operations, money laundering, and forgery in connection with the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.” He explained that it was done. The suspects have been charged with “multiple felonies.”
“They created ghost students – children who didn’t exist – with fake birth certificates and false disability diagnoses to qualify for more funding,” the Legislature explained.
Mays argued that the state’s voucher program is “ripe for abuse.” She is encouraging the Republican-majority Congress to “design a better program.”
The Arizona Education Association, a labor union, echoed Mays’ sentiments about the program.
AEA President Marisol Garcia said“As each new headline makes clear, Arizona’s ESA voucher program has been a complete disaster. A complete lack of accountability and transparency has left this program ripe for fraud and abuse. Yet, ESA voucher proponents are blocking even the most basic and common-sense programs.” It’s time to rein in the ESA voucher program before it spirals further out of control.” I am. ”
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, said: claimed “Gift certificates are draining essential funds from schools.”
Neil McCluskey, director of the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom, defended the state’s voucher program, calling it “empowering.”[s] By investing tax dollars in students, we allow families to choose the education they think is right for their children.
“Anti-choice advocates are jumping on fraud charges in Arizona, which means much of what they’re saying is a lie. First, they say the program is legally “But the fraudulent activity in the program is clearly illegal,” McCluskey wrote. X. “And let’s not pretend that cheating doesn’t happen in public schools.”
“Fraud is never a good thing. But this is not a sign that AZ’s ESA program is fundamentally bad,” he added.
U.S. Republican Sen. John Kavanaugh of Arizona also expressed support for school choice programs.
“I don’t think it’s as much of an indictment of the ESA as a bank teller stealing money from the banking system,” Kavanaugh said, the Associated Press reported. “It (the issue) is about people, not programs.”
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