PHOENIX — Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced Wednesday that two individuals have been convicted for their roles in a scheme to defraud the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, which provides funding for K–12 students.
On August 26, 2025, Johnny Bowers pleaded guilty to Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices (Class 2 felony) and Forgery (Class 4 felony) in Maricopa County Superior Court. His co-defendant, Ashley Hewitt (also known as Ashley Hopkins), had previously pleaded guilty to Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices on August 5, 2025.
How the scheme worked
According to prosecutors, Bowers and Hewitt worked together from December 2022 through May 2024 to exploit the ESA program by submitting falsified documents, including forged birth certificates and utility bills. These fraudulent applications allowed them to secure ESA funding for more than 40 children — some real, some fictitious — despite living in Colorado.
In total, the pair illegally collected $110,258.28 in state funds before being indicted in November 2024.
Attorney General Mayes responds
“Fraud in the ESA program will not be tolerated,” Mayes said in a statement. “Those who exploit government systems for personal gain will be held accountable. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute fraud and protect taxpayer dollars.”
Next steps
Both Bowers and Hewitt are scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, October 24, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
The case was investigated by the Arizona Attorney General’s Office Special Investigations Section and prosecuted by the Fraud and Special Prosecutions Section.
