The FBI announced Thursday that former Dohn Community High School Superintendent and operator Leando Ramone Davenport and his business partner, Johnathan Larry Ballew, were arrested and indicted on alleged wire fraud and money laundering charges.
The indictment claims that Davenport and Ballew worked together to defraud the now-shuttered charter school of $8 million between 2021 and 2024 by overcharging the school for education services, training, technology, and construction and remodeling services from Ballew that were never performed. It's alleged that Ballew then gave Davenport a $4 million kickback.
Davenport also allegedly inflated the school's student enrollment figures to pull in more revenue from the state and federal government. Data from the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce shows that during the 2023-2024 school year, the charter school claimed 1,676 students were enrolled. Davenport was ousted from the school in late 2024. In the 2024-2025 school year, Dohn reported an enrollment of just 355 students.
U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace told reporters Thursday afternoon that the two then allegedly blew millions in tax dollars intended for the school on lavish goods, like luxury cars, and real estate.
"Both Davenport and Ballew spent fraudulently derived proceeds on luxury vehicles, including in Ballew's case, a Bentley, and in Davenport's case, a Rolls-Royce," he said. "Davenport and Ballew together entered into a two-year lease for a luxury rental property in Miami, Florida. That property costs in rent $30,000 per month."
The FBI's indictment comes just over a year after Dohn Community High School abruptly closed its doors in March 2025, forcing its students to enroll elsewhere with about a month left in the school year.
"While we can't bring back Dohn Community School to its students, we can hold accountable those responsible for its demise," Gerace said.
If found guilty, Davenport and Ballew could spend decades in prison.
Read more:
