Attorney General Mayes has announced that a state grand jury indicted two out-of-state residents on several felony charges, including conspiracy, fraud, and forgery. The accused individuals, Johnny Lee Bowers and Ashley Meredith Hewitt, also known as Ashley Hopkins, are alleged to have submitted applications with false documentation to Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program.
The applications were for 50 children, of which 43 were non-existent. Bowers and Hewitt reportedly applied as parents using both their real names and fictitious identities. They allegedly obtained approximately $110,000 from the ESA Program, which they used for personal expenses in Colorado. Currently, it appears they reside in Utah.
Assistant Attorney General Haleigh Farrelly is prosecuting the case following an investigation by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Special Investigations Section.
A copy of the indictment is available to the public. It should be noted that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.