Nigerian Professor Nkechy Ezeh Admits to $1.4M US Nonprofit Fraud

Nkechy Ezeh, a Nigerian-born associate professor of education and founder of the now-defunct Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), has agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and tax evasion in a scheme that defrauded the nonprofit of $1.4 million. ​ The embezzled funds, which included grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Early Head Start Program and private donors, financed Ezeh’s lavish personal expenses such as trips to Hawaii, Liberia, and Nigeria. ​

Fraud Scheme Details

Ezeh orchestrated the conspiracy with her bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew, directing her to create fake invoices worth nearly $500,000 for nonexistent goods and services. ​ Killebrew, now 70, disbursed portions to her own contracting firm while funneling the rest to Ezeh and accomplices; in one case, they even incorporated a sham nonprofit using stolen identities. ​ Court records indicate much of the stolen $1.17 million linked to Killebrew’s role was wired to Nigeria, raising questions about potential property acquisitions there. ​

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Impact on Community and Organization

The theft forced ELNC to shutter in 2023, stripping essential preschool services from low-income children in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek, Michigan—areas where early education is critical for kindergarten readiness. ​ ELNC’s board hailed the plea as a step toward “accountability and justice,” noting Ezeh’s role as the scheme’s architect betrayed vulnerable families after years of hidden financial manipulation. ​

Legal Consequences and Background

Ezeh faces up to 20 years for wire fraud and five years for tax evasion, with her formal plea set for January 14, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Hala Jarbou in Lansing, Michigan. ​ She must pay $1.4 million in restitution to ELNC plus $390,000 to the IRS for unreported income from 2017-2022; Killebrew is already serving 54 months in prison. ​ Once celebrated as West Michigan Woman of the Year 2018 and a tenured professor with five children, Ezeh expressed remorse through her attorney, vowing full accountability.