- A Michigan court has sentenced Nkechy Ezeh to 70 months in prison for stealing $1.4 million meant for vulnerable preschool children
- Judge Hala Jarbou condemned Ezeh’s “brazen and widespread” theft, which forced the closure of Early Learning Neighbourhood Collaborative in 2023
- The fraud left West Michigan preschools without funding, deprived needy children of vital resources, and cost 35 employees their jobs
A United States district court in Michigan has sentenced Nkechy Ezeh, the former executive director of Early Learning Neighbourhood Collaborative (ELNC), to 70 months in prison after she admitted to orchestrating a fraud scheme that stole $1.4 million in taxpayer and donor money meant for vulnerable preschool children.
District Judge Hala Jarbou described Ezeh as “a fraud and a thief” who carried out a “brazen and widespread” scheme to divert funds intended for “the most vulnerable children” in West Michigan.
Source: Twitter
Accordign to US Justice Department, Ezeh, also an associate professor of education, founded ELNC, a non-profit organisation supported by the US Department of Health, Department of Education, and private donors. The group provided meals, transport, funding, advocacy, and other services to children in underserved communities.
Restitution and tax evasion sentence
The court ordered Ezeh to pay $1.4 million in restitution to victims of the fraud and $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Alongside her fraud sentence, she received a concurrent 60-month prison term for evading income taxes.
In December 2025, Ezeh pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion. According to her 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.
Collapse of ELNC and impact on children
The US government confirmed that ELNC shut down in 2023 due to the fraud. As a result, many West Michigan preschools lost funding, and children in need were deprived of essential resources. The non-profit also laid off its 35 employees without notice.
Co-conspirator sentenced
Ezeh’s co-conspirator, Sharon Killebrew, who worked as ELNC’s bookkeeper, was sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months in federal prison for her role in the scheme.
US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Timothy VerHey, condemned Ezeh’s actions, saying:
“Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible. 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.”
Source: Getty Images
US court jails Nigerian for $1.6m romance scam
Legit.ng earlier reported that a United States federal court has sentenced a 37-year-old Nigerian, Adetomiwa Seun Akindele, to five years and eleven months in prison for defrauding an elderly American woman of $1.6 million in a romance scam.
He will be deported to Nigeria after completing his sentence. Judge Charlotte Sweeney of the US District Court handed down the sentence after Akindele pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. He was also ordered to repay $1,692,945 to the victim and to forfeit an equivalent amount as part of the judgment.
Source: Legit.ng