A United States district court in Michigan has sentenced Nkechy Ezeh, a Nigerian-born former executive director of Early Learning Neighbourhood Collaborative, to 70 months in prison for 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 ran a “brazen and widespread” scheme to steal funds intended for “the most vulnerable children” in West Michigan.
Ezeh, an associate professor of education and founder of ELNC, used the non-profit to obtain funding from the US Department of Health, Department of Education, and private donors for meals, transportation, advocacy, and other services for children in underserved communities.
The court ordered her to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the victims and $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service. She also received a concurrent 60-month sentence for income tax evasion.
In December 2025, Ezeh pleaded guilty to wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion. She admitted that from at least 2017 to 2023 she conspired with Sharon Killebrew and others to defraud ELNC of $1.4 million.
The US government said ELNC shut down in 2023 because of the fraud, leaving many West Michigan preschools without funding and causing 35 employees to be laid off without notice. Killebrew, ELNC’s former bookkeeper, was sentenced in November 2025 to 54 months in prison for her role.
US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey said Ezeh spent donor funds meant for children on herself. “Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible,” he said. “The stolen money could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families. Judge Jarbou’s sentence was perfectly appropriate.”
