Deer Valley Unified School District—Criminal Indictment—Misuse of Public Monies, Theft, Fraudulent Schemes, and Computer Tampering

As part of their responsibility to prevent and detect fraud, Deer Valley Unified School District (District) officials took appropriate action by reporting to us alleged financial misconduct by Michelle Haworth, former accounting clerk at Mountain Shadows Elementary School (MSES).

Our investigation revealed that from February 2022 through February 2023, Ms. Haworth may have embezzled $6,578 of District monies. Ms. Haworth admitted she deposited MSES book fair receipts totaling $6,278 into her personal bank account and took $300 of MSES petty cash for personal purposes.

We submitted our report to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, which on January 27, 2026, presented evidence to the Maricopa County Superior Court Grand Jury. The action resulted in Ms. Haworth’s indictment on 5 felony counts related to misuse of public monies, theft, fraudulent schemes and practices, and computer tampering.