A United States district court in Michigan has sentenced Nigerian-born education scholar, Nkechy Ezeh, to 70 months in federal prison for masterminding a $1.4 million fraud scheme involving taxpayer and donor funds meant for vulnerable preschool children.
The sentencing was handed down by District Judge Hala Jarbou, who described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief,” condemning what she called a “brazen and widespread” scheme that diverted resources intended for some of the most vulnerable children in West Michigan.
Ezeh, an associate professor of education and founder of the Early Learning Neighbourhood Collaborative, was convicted for orchestrating the diversion of funds provided by the United States Department of Health, the United States Department of Education, and private donors.
The nonprofit was established to support underserved children through educational advocacy, meals, transportation, and other social services across West Michigan communities.
In addition to the prison term, the court ordered Ezeh to pay $1.4 million in restitution to affected victims and an additional $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service for tax-related violations.
She was also handed a concurrent 60-month prison sentence for tax evasion.
Ezeh had pleaded guilty in December 2025 to charges bordering on wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion.
According to court filings, she admitted that between 2017 and 2023, she conspired with Sharon Killebrew and others to fraudulently obtain and divert approximately $1.4 million from the nonprofit organisation.
Federal prosecutors said the fraud forced the collapse of the organisation in 2023, abruptly ending educational support for hundreds of preschool children in underserved communities.
The closure also resulted in the sudden dismissal of 35 employees without prior notice.
Killebrew, Ezeh’s former bookkeeper and co-conspirator, had earlier been sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months in federal prison for her role in the scheme.
Reacting to the judgment, Timothy VerHey said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the offence.
“Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible,” the lawyer said.
“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. The stolen money could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families.”
The case has drawn significant attention in both the United States and Nigeria, raising concerns over accountability in nonprofit management and the consequences of abuse of public trust within educational support institutions.
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