Nkechy Ezeh, a Nigerian-born education professor and former nonprofit administrator in Michigan, was sentenced to nearly six years in jail for masterminding a $1.4 million fraud operation that siphoned off funding intended to benefit vulnerable pre-school children in impoverished regions.
Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou sentenced Ezeh to serve 70 months in federal prison.
She was also handed a concurrent sentence of 60 months for tax evasion, the PUNCH writes.
Ezeh, 45, misappropriated taxpayer and donor funds meant for low-income children through the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a nonprofit she created that provided meals, transportation, advocacy and other services to preschool children in underserved communities, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan said.
Judge Jarbou sentencing Ezeh called him “a fraud and a thief” and said the plot was “brazen and widespread.”
The judge sent her straight to prison and ordered her to pay back $1.4 million to the victims and $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey denounced Ezeh’s behavior, stating, “Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible.
“She stole taxpayer and private donor dollars that were intended for low-income children in our community. “She used that money on herself instead of helping kids,” VerHey stated.
“The money that was stolen would have helped hundreds of children and their families in West Michigan.”
Before his conviction, Ezeh was a well-known figure in Michigan. In 2018, she was selected West Michigan Woman of the Year, served two terms on the Early Childhood Investment Corporation Executive Committee for the state, and was a professor of education.
Prosecutors say she used the money to maintain her lifestyle, pay for a relative’s wedding and travel to Hawaii, Europe and Africa. They said she put family members on a phantom payroll and employed money mules to move hundreds of thousands of dollars to relatives in Nigeria.
The scam resulted in the closure of ELNC in 2023, leading to the loss of services to underprivileged children and the layoff of 35 employees without notice.
In November 2025, Ezeh’s former bookkeeper and co-conspirator, Sharon Killebrew, was sentenced to 54 months in prison for her role in the conspiracy.
“This case shows the government’s commitment to guarding taxpayer dollars,” said Thomas Ethridge, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
“This case demonstrates the seriousness of using federal grant funds for personal gain,” said Ethridge.
“We remain committed to safeguarding the integrity of HHS programs.”
The investigation was conducted by HHS-OIG and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler prosecuted the case.
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