Source: Africa Publicity
A district court in Michigan, United States, has jailed Nigerian-born Professor, Nkechy Ezeh for 70 months for “orchestrating a fraud scheme that stole $1.4 million in taxpayer and donor money intended for vulnerable preschool children.”
Ruling, Hala Jarbou, the district judge, described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief.”
The judge says Professor Ezeh engaged in “brazen and widespread” scheme to steak money meant for “most vulnerable children” in West Michigan.
Ezeh is an associate professor of education and the founder of ELNC, a non-profit organisation funded by the US department of health, department of education, and private donors to provide meals, transportation, funding, advocacy, and other services to children in underserved communities.
A statement released by the US government says the trial judge ordered Ezeh to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the victims of the fraud and $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The judge also sentenced her to a concurrent prison term of 60 months for evading income taxes.
It would be recalled that in December 2025, Ezeh pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion.
The plea agreement revealed that Ezeh 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.
According to the US government, ELNC closed shop in 2023 on account of the fraud, as many West Michigan preschools lost funding, and needy children lost valuable resources.
The government says non-profit organisation also laid off its 35 employees without 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, US attorney for western district of Michigan, said Ezeh spent the donor funds meant for children on herself instead of helping kids.
