A United States district court in Michigan has sentenced Nigerian-born professor Nkechy Ezeh to 70 months in prison over a $1.4 million fraud scheme involving funds intended for vulnerable preschool children.
According to US authorities, Ezeh, founder of the Early Learning Neighbourhood Collaborative, orchestrated the fraud between 2017 and 2023 using taxpayer and donor funds meant to support children in underserved communities.
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While delivering judgment, Judge Hala Jarbou described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief,” stating that the scheme was “brazen and widespread” and deprived vulnerable children of essential services.
The court also ordered Ezeh to pay $1.4 million in restitution to victims and an additional $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service over tax-related violations. She received a concurrent 60-month prison sentence for tax evasion.
Ezeh had pleaded guilty in December 2025 to charges including wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion.
Authorities said the fraud led to the closure of the nonprofit organisation in 2023, leaving several preschools in West Michigan without funding and resulting in the sudden loss of jobs for about 35 employees.
Her co-conspirator and former ELNC bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew, had earlier been sentenced to 54 months in prison in November 2025 for her involvement in the scheme.
Reacting to the ruling, US Attorney Timothy VerHey condemned the diversion of funds meant to support low-income children, describing the actions as a betrayal of public trust.
