4 indicted on fraud charges in connection with shuttered Ohio charter school

Four people have been indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges in connection with a scheme to defraud a charter school in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, of more than $400,000. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the charges stems from financial dealings connected with Greater Heights Academy, a charter school in Cleveland Heights that closed in 2008. The academy once enrolled nearly 1,000 K-12 students, and collected more than $21.5 million from the state in less than five years, but state auditors were unable to determine how most of the money was spent. Among the indicted is Joel Friedman, who was chairman of Greater Heights Academy.