Nkechy Ezeh, a former college professor and nonprofit executive, has pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from a years-long fraud scheme that siphoned more than $1 million from taxpayer-funded programs intended to serve low-income children in Michigan.
Ezeh, who was born in Nigeria and built a career in the United States focused on early childhood education and community development, admitted to misappropriating funds while serving as chief executive officer of the Michigan-based Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative.
Prior to the fraud investigation, Ezeh was widely praised for her work and was appointed to a state role by Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
In 2020, Whitmer selected Ezeh to serve on the executive committee of the Michigan Early Childhood Investment Corporation, a state entity responsible for coordinating and funding early education initiatives.
Ezeh earned a doctorate and worked as a professor at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids until her retirement in May 2023.
She founded the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in 2010, promoting the organization as a provider of funding, advocacy, and educational services for at-risk families in underserved communities, including Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek.
The nonprofit claimed to have assisted roughly 8,000 children over its years of operation, with approximately 72 percent of those children living below the federal poverty line.
The organization supported agencies offering early learning programs, meals, and transportation for preschool-aged children.
Federal investigators later determined that between 2017 and 2023, Ezeh diverted funds from the nonprofit for personal use.
Working with the organization’s bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew, Ezeh generated nearly $500,000 in fraudulent invoices and created two fictitious daycare businesses to funnel money to herself, family members, and associates.
The total amount stolen exceeded $1 million and included funds from taxpayer-supported grants and subsidies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Early Head Start programs and Michigan’s Great Start Readiness Program.
The resources were specifically designated to provide education, meals, and transportation for disadvantaged preschoolers.
Prosecutors said some of the stolen money was used to finance personal travel, including trips to Hawaii, Liberia, and Nigeria.
Killebrew separately paid herself nearly $1 million during the same period and was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison.
The fraud forced the closure of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative in 2023, eliminating 35 jobs and cutting off services for families in economically challenged areas across Michigan.
That same year, the organization filed a civil lawsuit against Ezeh and Killebrew seeking recovery of the stolen funds.
Ezeh agreed to a plea deal on December 29, 2025, and formally entered her guilty plea on January 14, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou in the Western District of Michigan.
She pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ezeh has agreed to pay approximately $1.4 million in restitution to affected government agencies and nearly $400,000 in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2026.
Ezeh faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and an additional five years for tax evasion.
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