Judiciary
U.S. Court Jails Former Education Professor for Misusing Funds Meant for Low-Income Children
A United States federal court has sentenced Nigerian-born education professor Nkechy Ezeh to 70 months in prison after finding her guilty of diverting $1.
The court also handed her a concurrent 60-month sentence for tax evasion. In addition, she was ordered to refund $1.
Prosecutors said she, while serving as a former executive of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in Michigan, misappropriated funds intended for essential services such as meals, transport, and other support for children in underserved communities.
Delivering judgment, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou described the fraud as “brazen and widespread,” further calling Ezeh “a fraud and a thief.”
According to U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey, she diverted taxpayer and donor funds meant for vulnerable children and used them for personal expenses, including trips to Hawaii, Europe, and Africa, as well as a family wedding. She was also accused of placing relatives on a fake payroll and routing money through intermediaries to Nigeria.
The fraudulent activities led to the shutdown of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in 2023, which resulted in the loss of services for vulnerable children and 35 job cuts.
Ezeh, who was once named West Michigan Woman of the Year in 2018, had also served on Michigan’s Early Childhood Investment Corporation Executive Committee and previously held a tenured academic position in education.
Her former bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew, was earlier sentenced to 54 months in prison in November 2025 for her role in the same scheme.
The investigation was carried out by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and IRS Criminal Investigation, while prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Stiffler.
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