A United States district court in Michigan has sentenced Nigerian professor Nkechy Ezeh to 70 months in federal prison for masterminding a $1.4m fraud scheme involving funds meant for vulnerable preschool children.
The sentence was handed down by Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou, who described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief” and labelled the scheme “brazen and widespread”.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the 61-year-old, who lives in Kent County, Michigan, was also sentenced to a concurrent 60-month prison term for income tax evasion.
Judge Jarbou ordered Ezeh to repay $1.4m in restitution to victims of the fraud and an additional $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). She was remanded immediately to begin serving her prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Timothy VerHey, condemned Ezeh’s actions, saying the stolen funds were intended to support low-income children and struggling families.
“Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible,” VerHey 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.”
He added that the diverted funds “could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families”.
Ezeh was the founder of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a West Michigan non-profit organisation funded through the federal Early Head Start programme, the U.S. Department of Education and private donors.
The organisation provided meals, transport, advocacy, and educational support services for children in underserved communities.
Federal prosecutors said the fraud forced ELNC to shut down three years ago, leaving dozens of preschool programmes without funding and causing 35 employees to lose their jobs without notice.
Court documents revealed that Ezeh used stolen funds to finance luxury travel to Hawaii, Europe and Africa, pay for a relative’s wedding, and maintain an extravagant lifestyle.
Prosecutors also alleged that she placed family members on a “ghost payroll”, allowing them to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for little or no work. Authorities further accused her of using money mules to transfer large sums to relatives in Nigeria.
Her co-conspirator and former ELNC bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew, was sentenced last year to 54 months in prison for her role in the fraud.
In sentencing filings, prosecutors stressed that while government agencies and charities were financially defrauded, the greatest impact fell on children and families who depended on ELNC’s services.
The affected children were mostly under the age of five, many from minority communities, with more than 70% living below the federal poverty line in parts of Kent County, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.
Special Agent in Charge Thomas Ethridge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General said the case highlighted the seriousness of misusing public funds.
“This case underscores the seriousness of misusing federal grant funds for personal gain,” he said. “We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure violators are held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation unit.
