A United States Federal District Court in Michigan has sentenced Nigerian-born education scholar, Nkechy Ezeh, to 70 months imprisonment for masterminding a $1.4 million fraud scheme involving funds meant for vulnerable preschool children.
Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou delivered the sentence, describing Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief” who orchestrated what the court termed a “brazen and widespread” theft of public resources.
Ezeh, 61, was an Associate Professor of Education at Aquinas College and founder of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), a nonprofit organisation funded by private donors and the U.S. Departments of Health and Education to support low-income families through free meals, transportation and preschool advocacy services.
According to court documents, Ezeh operated the fraud scheme between 2017 and 2023 in collaboration with the nonprofit’s former finance director and bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew.
Prosecutors said the duo generated more than $470,000 in fake invoices for childcare services that were never rendered.
Investigators also revealed that Ezeh created fictitious daycare centres, including Global Open Learning and Development Preschools (GOLD), allegedly using stolen identities to divert funds from legitimate facilities.
The court heard that the diverted funds were used to finance luxury vacations to Hawaii, a family wedding, and large financial transfers to individuals in Nigeria and Liberia.
Ezeh had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, tax evasion and concealing conflicts of interest.
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In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, the court imposed a concurrent 60-month sentence for tax-related offences. Judge Jarbou also ordered Ezeh to repay the full $1.4 million to affected organisations and pay $390,174 to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over unpaid taxes linked to the fraud.
The judge denied bail and ordered her immediate remand into federal custody.
Authorities said the collapse of the ELNC following the fraud had severe consequences for vulnerable families across Michigan. The shutdown reportedly left 35 employees without jobs, disrupted funding for several preschool centres, and affected hundreds of children under the age of five who depended on the organisation’s educational and nutrition support programmes.
Before her conviction, Ezeh had received several community and leadership awards and was appointed in 2020 by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to serve on the executive committee of the state’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation.
Her co-defendant, Killebrew, is already serving a 54-month prison sentence for her role in the fraudulent transactions.
Source:Upshot Reports
