Former Bradley Academy CEO sentenced in theft scheme
Daniel K. Hughes ordered to serve prison time, pay restitution
Posted 3/17/21
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced March 17 that Daniel K. Hughes, former CEO of the defunct Bradley Academy of Excellence in Goodyear, was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay restitution for his role in the theft of more than $2.6 million from the Arizona Department of Education, the U.S. Dept. of Education, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, and the Federal Communications Commission.
You must be a member to read this story.
Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.
Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here
Otherwise, follow the link below to join.
To Our Valued Readers –
Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.
For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.
Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.
Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.
Need to set up your free e-Newspaper all-access account? click here.
Non-subscribers
Click here to see your options for becoming a subscriber.
Register to comment
Click here create a free account for posting comments.
Note that free accounts do not include access to premium content on this site.
I am anchor
CRIME AND COURTS
Former Bradley Academy CEO sentenced in theft scheme
Daniel K. Hughes ordered to serve prison time, pay restitution
Posted
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced March 17 that Daniel K. Hughes, former CEO of the defunct Bradley Academy of Excellence in Goodyear, was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay restitution for his role in the theft of more than $2.6 million from the Arizona Department of Education, the U.S. Dept. of Education, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and the Federal Communications Commission.
Bradley Academy, also known as the Discovery Creemos Academy and Bradley Creemos Academy, abruptly closed its doors in January 2018.
It was then discovered that the school had falsified its attendance records, and Hughes was the architect of a scheme reporting fake students, called “caspers,” to the Arizona Department of Education to increase funding, according to a release.
Mr. Hughes and accomplices, Principal Harold Cadiz and Vice Principal Joanna Vega, reported 191 caspers during the 2016-2017 academic year and 453 caspers during the 2017-2018 academic year. This resulted in more than $2 million in overpayments for those years.
Mr. Hughes pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of theft. A Maricopa County Superior Court Judge sentenced him March 12. After release from prison, Mr. Hughes will be placed on supervised probation for five years.
His accomplices both pleaded guilty and were sentenced in 2020. Mr. Cadiz was sentenced to 3.75 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised probation with white-collar terms. Ms. Vega was sentenced to four months of jail and five years of supervised probation with white-collar terms.
All three defendants have been ordered to pay $2,538,722 together in restitution.
Assistant Attorney General Mary Harriss prosecuted the case.