A Florida resident has been indicted on multiple felony charges for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from Arizona’s school voucher program, state prosecutors announced Thursday.
According to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, 36-year-old Adam Renae Jones faces one count of theft and five counts of fraudulent schemes and artifices. An indictment issued August 4 accuses him of fraudulently obtaining between $4,000 and $25,000 in Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funds.
Investigators allege Jones submitted applications for non-existent children between 2022 and 2024 to siphon money from the taxpayer-funded program, which provides families with public funds to cover private school or homeschooling costs.
The indictment comes as Arizona’s ESA program faces increasing scrutiny over fraud and accountability. Earlier this year, two out-of-state defendants pleaded guilty to defrauding the program of more than $110,000.
State officials remain divided on how best to prevent such abuse. Attorney General Kris Mayes has criticized policies that allow purchases under $2,000 to be automatically approved, while Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne has defended the system, arguing that audits conducted later can catch improper expenses.
The case against Jones is ongoing.
