Last Updated on August 6, 2023, 2:51 AM | Published: January 11, 2023
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s new Attorney General, Gentner Drummond, notified Oklahoma County’s new District Attorney Vicki Behenna Tuesday that he would take on the prosecution of three former leaders of Epic Charter Schools.
Drummond took the action the day after he was sworn into office.
The three are currently facing multiple criminal charges in Oklahoma County for their mishandling of state taxpayer funds that Epic received from the state for educating students in a mostly online environment.
“I have determined it to be in the best interest of the State of Oklahoma for the Attorney General’s Office to assume the prosecution of State of Oklahoma v. Joshua Aaron Brock, David Lee Chaney, and Benjamin Scott Harris, Oklahoma County case number CF-2022-2721,” wrote Drummond in a letter to Behenna which Free Press obtained and is embedded below.
“As you and I have discussed and as I have said publicly, I believe the Office of Attorney General should be responsible for the prosecution of this matter,” Drummond continued. “These allegations involve tens of millions of Oklahoma tax dollars intended for public education, and the State has a strong interest in ensuring proper accountability. Given the statewide impact of this case on public education funding, I believe it is wholly appropriate that it fall under the purview of the Office of Attorney General.”
Multiple charges
Currently, in Oklahoma County, Joshua Aaron Brock, David Lee Chaney, and Benjamin Scott Harris are all charged in the same case with:
- Racketeering – 1 count
- Embezzlement – 6 counts
- Obtaining money by false pretenses – 1 count
- Using a computer, computer system, or computer network to execute a scheme to defraud – 1 count
- Presenting false claims to the state – 1 count
- Acquiring unlawful proceeds in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) – 1 count
Arrest warrants were issued for the three at the end of June resulting in their surrender and bonding out of the Oklahoma County Jail.
Audit of financial schemes
In June 2021, elected Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd who produced the damning evidence against the three called their wrongdoing “likely the biggest public corruption case in the history of the state” in a TV interview in June.
Byrd explained the seven “notable findings” of wrongdoing in this news conference:
From O’Connor to Drummond
According to the Oklahoma Constitution, the Attorney General is elected in a statewide vote.
But, Drummond’s predecessor, John O’Connor, was appointed by Governor Kevin Stitt when elected AG Mike Hunter resigned in May 2021 after it came to light that he had been having an extramarital affair with a staff member at the State Insurance Commission.
During his time in office, O’Connor mostly relied on county district attorneys to prosecute state wrongdoing in government, which was mostly in the executive branch controlled by Stitt.
Here is Drummond’s letter to Oklahoma County DA Vicki Behenna:
epic_prosecution
Founder, publisher, and editor of Oklahoma City Free Press. Brett continues to contribute reports and photography to this site as he runs the business.
