A former Arizona resident, Amanda Elizabeth Maestas, has been convicted for the theft of Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) funds.
Maestas was convicted in Pima County Superior Court of Theft, a Class 6 offense after entering a guilty plea on May 15, 2026. She has been ordered to pay $28,433.19 in restitution to the ESA Program and will serve a term of supervised probation.
According to her indictment, between June 23, 2023 and May 7, 2024, Maestas continued collecting ESA funds after she and her child relocated to Texas, rendering her child ineligible for the program. Arizona residency is a formal condition of ESA participation, which Maestas had explicitly acknowledged when enrolling in the program.
Maestas is set for sentencing on June 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM in Pima County Superior Court.
Good. Punish fraud, but be ready to hear from the teacher’s union about how ESA needs to be abolished because of abuse like this, while ignoring the mismanagement of public schools.