A U.S. district court in Michigan has sentenced a Nigerian professor, Dr Nkechy Ezeh, to 70 months imprisonment for orchestrating a fraud scheme involving 1.4 million dollars meant for vulnerable preschool children.
According to a statement issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, Ezeh, 61, was convicted for diverting taxpayer and donor funds intended for children enrolled in early childhood education programmes.
The statement quoted U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Mr Timothy VerHey, as saying that Ezeh’s actions deprived vulnerable children and families of critical support services.
“Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible.
“She stole taxpayer and private donor funds meant for low-income children in our community and spent the money on herself,” VerHey said.
The court also sentenced Ezeh to a concurrent 60-month prison term for tax evasion.
Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou, who delivered the judgment, reportedly described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief” and said the scheme was brazen and widespread.
The judge ordered her to pay 1.4 million dollars in restitution to victims of the fraud and 390,174 dollars to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Ezeh was also remanded to prison immediately after sentencing.
Investigations showed that Ezeh founded the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a nonprofit organisation funded through federal grants, private donations and public education programmes.
The organisation provided meals, transportation, advocacy and financial support to underserved preschool children.
Authorities said Ezeh diverted funds for personal expenses, including travel to Hawaii, Europe and Africa, payment for a family member’s wedding, and placing relatives on a ghost payroll.
She was also accused of using intermediaries to transfer stolen funds to family members in Nigeria.
The fraud led to the closure of ELNC in 2023, leaving 35 employees jobless and several West Michigan preschools without funding.
Her co-conspirator and former bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew, was earlier sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months imprisonment for her role in the fraud.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit.
