Ex-Tucson Charter School Exec Faces 22 Felony Charges
Key Points Former Academy Del Sol director Jason Riegert faces 22 felony charges over alleged misuse of school funds Prosecutors say at least $100,000 was spent on casinos, luxury goods, travel, plastic surgery, and personal expenses Riegert’s wife Staci Barton and former administrator Kimberly Richards are also accused of helping conceal the alleged scheme
Key Points
Former Academy Del Sol director Jason Riegert faces 22 felony charges over alleged misuse of school funds
Prosecutors say at least $100,000 was spent on casinos, luxury goods, travel, plastic surgery, and personal expenses
Riegert’s wife Staci Barton and former administrator Kimberly Richards are also accused of helping conceal the alleged scheme
A former executive director of a publicly funded charter school in Tucson, Arizona, was indicted Thursday on charges that he participated in a scheme prosecutors say funneled school money to personal spending.
A former executive director
Tucson
funneled school money to personal spending
Ex-Academy Del Sol Director Accused of Misusing School Funds
Jason Riegert, a former head of Academy Del Sol, is facing 22 felony charges in Pima County Superior Court. The indictment also identifies his wife, Staci Barton, and former school office administrator Kimberly Richards as alleged participants in the scheme, reported AZ Central.
Jason Riegert
Academy Del Sol
22 felony charges
Pima County Superior Court
Staci Barton
Kimberly Richards
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said a state grand jury indicted the three on July 27 following an investigation into financial activity at the school. The alleged crimes occurred between January 2018 and December 2024, spanning much of Riegert’s tenure as executive director.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office
January 2018 and December 2024
Riegert
Riegert is charged with theft, conspiracy, forgery, computer tampering, fraud, and misuse of charter school money. Prosecutors also allege he was involved in the illegal operation of an enterprise connected to the scheme.
Riegert
charged
Riegert and Barton spent at least $100,000 of school funds on personal expenses, the indictment says. Other reports referencing the court documents say the total amount could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Riegert
Barton
$100,000 of school funds on personal expenses
Tucson School Officials Accused of Using Funds for Casino Spending
Casino spending is a key part of the allegations. Prosecutors also say school money was used to buy luxury goods and services, including jewelry, expensive meals, clothing, travel and cosmetic procedures.
Casino spending
The trips to Las Vegas, New York City and Hawaii were among the alleged personal spending. Investigators also tied school money to the purchase of a 2020 Cadillac Escalade and work performed at the home of Riegert and Barton.
The trips to Las Vegas, New York City and Hawaii
Riegert
Barton
Richards is accused of helping to hide some of the transactions in the school’s accounting books. Prosecutors say the expenses were listed as legitimate costs for services such as landscaping, cleaning, and technology but were actually for personal spending.
Richards
The indictment also alleges that Riegert and Richards used Platinum Educational Solutions, a company owned by Riegert, to charge the school for student support services which were not rendered.
Riegert
Richards
Platinum Educational Solutions
Riegert
Riegert and Richards are also accused of tampering with computer systems, investigators said. The charges allege that technology was used or modified in attempts to help facilitate the alleged financial misconduct.
Riegert
Richards
Barton and Riegert are being held in the Pima County Adult Detention Complex on $250,000 bail each. As of September 8, Richards was not in custody in Pima County.
Barton
Riegert
$250,000 bail
Richards
Academy Del Sol offers tuition-free education with two campuses in Tucson, Arizona. Combined, the two locations had nearly 700 students enrolled last year, according to Arizona Department of Education data.
Academy Del Sol
Tucson, Arizona
arizona
casino
crime
north america
usa
