Nigerian-Born US Nonprofit Boss Jailed 70 Months for $1.4m Fraud Targeting Children’s Charity Funds

Nkechy Ezeh has been sentenced to more than five years in prison in the United States after being found guilty of running a $1.4 million fraud scheme involving funds meant for vulnerable preschool children.

A federal court in Michigan handed down a 70-month prison sentence, marking the culmination of a case that prosecutors described as a serious abuse of public trust and donor confidence.

The sentencing was delivered by Chief Judge Hala Y. Jarbou of the U.S. District Court, who also imposed a separate 60-month term for tax evasion. Both sentences will run concurrently.

Ezeh was additionally ordered to repay $1.4 million in restitution and an extra $390,174 to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, according to a statement released by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

Court records show that Ezeh, 61, founded and led the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, a nonprofit based in West Michigan focused on early childhood education for underserved communities.

Prosecutors said she diverted taxpayer and donor funds intended for low-income children for personal use, betraying the mission of the organisation she built.

During sentencing, Judge Jarbou described her conduct in stark terms, calling the scheme “brazen and widespread” and labelling her “a fraud and a thief,” according to court proceedings.

US Attorney Timothy VerHey said the conviction reflected the scale of the misconduct, accusing Ezeh of prioritising personal gain over the welfare of children the funds were meant to support.

He said the money came from both taxpayers and private donors who believed they were contributing to a social safety programme for disadvantaged families.

Ezeh, who also served as an associate professor of education and director of early childhood education at Aquinas College, was taken into federal custody immediately after sentencing.

The case has drawn attention in education and nonprofit circles in the United States, where concerns over accountability in donor-funded organisations continue to grow.