A United States district court in Michigan has sentenced Nkechy Ezeh, a Nigerian-born academic and former executive director of Early Learning Neighbourhood Collaborative (ELNC), to 70 months in prison over alleged 1.4 million fraud.
Hala Jarbou, the presiding judge, described Ezeh as: “a fraud and a thief”
The judge further said Ezeh engaged in a: “brazen and widespread” scheme to steal money meant for the “most vulnerable children” in West Michigan.
Ezeh, an associate professor of education, founded ELNC, a non-profit organisation funded by the United States Department of Health, the United States Department of Education, and private donors to provide meals, transportation, funding, advocacy, and related support services to children in underserved communities.
According to a statement released by the U.S. government, the court ordered Ezeh to repay $1.4 million in restitution to victims of the fraud and an additional $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The court also imposed a concurrent prison sentence of 60 months for tax evasion.
In December 2025, Ezeh pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion.
According to the plea agreement, she admitted that: “from at least 2017 through 2023, she conspired with Sharon Killebrew and others to devise a scheme to defraud and obtain $1,400,000” from ELNC.
The U.S. government said the fraud forced ELNC to shut down in 2023, leading to funding losses for several West Michigan preschools and depriving needy children of critical educational resources.
The organisation also reportedly laid off 35 employees without prior notice.
Sharon Killebrew, ELNC’s former bookkeeper and Ezeh’s co-conspirator, was sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months in federal prison for her role in the scheme.
Commenting on the judgment, Timothy VerHey condemned Ezeh’s conduct.
“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.
“The stolen money could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families.
“Judge Jarbou’s sentence was perfectly appropriate.”