June 23, 2022
OSBI arrests Epic Charter Schools founders Ben Harris and David Chaney, and former Chief Financial Officer Josh Brock.
Harris, Chaney and Brock are facing the following charges:
Racketeering
Embezzlement of State Funds
Obtaining Money by False Pretense
Conspiracy to Commit a Felony
Violation of the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act
Submitting False Documents to the State
Unlawful Proceeds
The OSBI investigation began in 2013 at the request of then-Governor Mary Fallin based on a complaint from the State Department of Education of dual enrollment.
-A second request was made in 2019 from a state legislator concerned about misappropriation of state funds by Epic Blended Learning Centers.
OSBI Director Ricky Adams says, “This has been a very complex and arduous investigation with many roadblocks causing delays in getting to the truth.”
He says, “Harris, Chaney and Brock came up with a ‘get rich quick scheme’ that lined their pockets with tax dollars that were to be spent for the benefit of Oklahoma students.”
He says, “The OSBI criminal investigation unraveled the intricate scheme layer by layer, in spite of a lack of cooperation, legal obstacles and delay tactics.”
OSBI says through Epic Charter Schools, Epic Youth Services and the Student Learning Fund, a complicated criminal enterprise emerged that involved co-mingling of funds, excessive and unnecessary management fees, the use of Oklahoma tax dollars in California, political influence, concealment of profits, false invoices, and the illegal use of employees.
OSBI says over the years, the scheme resulted in a cost to the state of Oklahoma in excess of $22 million.
They thanked State Auditor Cindy Byrd and several independent private audit agencies that helped unravel the scheme.
All three have a $250,000 bond.
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