By Ghazali Ibrahim
A Nigerian-born education professor and former nonprofit executive in Michigan, Nkechy Ezeh, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison in the United States for orchestrating a $1.4 million fraud scheme involving funds meant for vulnerable preschool children.
Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou handed down the sentence and also imposed a concurrent 60-month jail term for tax evasion.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, Ezeh diverted taxpayer and donor funds intended for low-income children through the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a nonprofit organisation she founded.
The organisation provided services including meals, transportation and advocacy for preschool children in underserved communities.
During sentencing, Judge Jarbou described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief,” adding that the scheme was “brazen and widespread.”
The court ordered her to repay $1.4 million to victims and an additional $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). She was remanded in custody immediately after sentencing.
Reacting to the judgment, U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey condemned Ezeh’s conduct, saying the stolen funds were meant to support disadvantaged children and families.
“She stole taxpayer and private-donor dollars meant for low-income children in our community. Instead of helping kids, she spent that money on herself,” VerHey said.
Prosecutors revealed that Ezeh used the funds to finance personal expenses, including luxury travel to Hawaii, Europe and Africa, as well as a family member’s wedding. Authorities also alleged that she placed relatives on a ghost payroll and transferred large sums of money to family members in Nigeria through money mules.
Before her conviction, Ezeh was a prominent figure in Michigan’s education sector. She was named West Michigan Woman of the Year in 2018, served twice on the state’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation Executive Committee, and held tenure as a professor of education.
Investigators said the fraud forced ELNC to shut down in 2023, resulting in the loss of critical services for children and the dismissal of 35 employees.
Her former bookkeeper and co-conspirator, Sharon Killebrew, had earlier been sentenced to 54 months in prison in November 2025 for her involvement in the fraud.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler prosecuted the case.
