Nigerian Professor Sentenced for $1.4M Fraud Scheme

Dr. Nkechi Ezeh, the former CEO of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in Kent County, Michigan, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for her role in a $1.4 million fraud scheme that misappropriated taxpayer and donor funds intended for vulnerable preschool children. The sentencing was announced in a press release by the U.S.

Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, Timothy Verheul, and delivered by Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y.

Jarbou. Ezeh was also ordered to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the U.S.

Internal Revenue Service. The court found that Ezeh diverted funds meant for low-income children to finance personal expenses, including travel to Hawaii and Europe.

She was accused of placing relatives on a ghost payroll, allowing her to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars for little to no work. The fraudulent activities led to the shutdown of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in 2023, resulting in the loss of funding and the layoff of 35 employees.

Sharon Killebrew, a former bookkeeper, was identified as a co-conspirator and received a 54-month prison sentence for her involvement.