A Nigerian-born scholar, Nkechy Ezeh, has been sentenced to 70 months in a United States federal prison for orchestrating a $1.4 million fraud scheme involving taxpayer and donor funds meant to support vulnerable preschool children.
Ezeh, who founded the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), was sentenced on Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou in the Western District of Michigan. She also received a concurrent 60-month sentence for tax evasion.
Prosecutors said Ezeh misused funds intended for early childhood education programs supported by federal agencies and private donors. The court described her actions as “brazen and widespread,” adding that she diverted money meant for disadvantaged children for personal use.
She was also ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution to victims and more than $390,000 to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. She was taken into custody immediately after sentencing to begin serving her prison term.
According to prosecutors, Ezeh used the stolen funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including travel to destinations such as Hawaii, Europe, and Africa, as well as covering personal expenses like a family wedding. She also allegedly placed relatives on a ghost payroll and wired large sums to family members in Nigeria through intermediaries.
Authorities said the scheme contributed to the collapse of ELNC in 2023, resulting in the loss of funding for several preschools and the layoff of 35 employees, disrupting services for low-income families. A co-conspirator, former bookkeeper Sharon Killebrew, was earlier sentenced to 54 months in prison for her role in the fraud.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said the case underscores ongoing efforts to protect federal grant programs from abuse and ensure accountability in public funding.
