A Nigerian-born education professor and former nonprofit executive in Michigan, Nkechy Ezeh has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for orchestrating a $1.4 million fraud scheme that diverted funds meant to support vulnerable preschool children in underserved communities.
Ezeh was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou. She also received a concurrent 60-month sentence for tax evasion.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan, Ezeh stole taxpayer and donor funds intended for low-income children through the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a nonprofit she founded that provided meals, transportation, advocacy and other services to preschool children in disadvantaged communities.
At sentencing, Judge Jarbou described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief,” and said the scheme was “brazen and widespread.”
The judge ordered her to repay $1.4 million to the victims and $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service, and remanded her to prison immediately.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey condemned Ezeh’s actions, saying, “Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible.”
“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. “The stolen money could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families.”
Ezeh was widely recognized in Michigan before her conviction. 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.
Prosecutors said she used the stolen funds to finance her lifestyle, pay for a family member’s wedding, and travel to Hawaii, Europe and Africa. They also said she placed relatives on a ghost payroll and used money mules to transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars to family members in Nigeria.
The fraud led to ELNC shutting down in 2023, resulting in the loss of support services for needy children and the abrupt layoff of 35 employees.
Ezeh’s former bookkeeper and co-conspirator, Sharon Killebrew, was sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months in prison for her role in the scheme.
Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said the case demonstrates the government’s determination to protect public funds.
“This case underscores the seriousness of misusing federal grant funds for personal gain,” Ethridge said.
“Our commitment to protecting the integrity of HHS programs remains steadfast.”
The case was investigated by HHS-OIG and IRS Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler.