Nigerian-Born Professor Jailed in US Over $1.4m Preschool Fraud

A court in the US state of Michigan has sentenced Nigerian-born professor, Nkechy Ezeh, to 70 months in prison for embezzling more than $1.4 million meant for vulnerable preschool children in underserved communities.

According to court findings, Ezeh diverted funds allocated to support early childhood education programmes through her non-profit organisation, ELNC. The sentencing judge described her as “a fraud and a thief,” while condemning the misuse of public resources intended to help disadvantaged children.

The court also ordered Ezeh to repay the stolen funds in full and pay an additional $390,000 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over tax-related liabilities connected to the fraud scheme.

Authorities said the collapse of ELNC in 2023 had severe consequences for the community, leaving about 35 employees without jobs and disrupting support services for hundreds of preschool children who depended on the programme.

Investigators noted that the stolen funds were originally designated for educational and developmental services targeted at low-income and vulnerable families.

The case has drawn widespread attention within both Nigerian and American communities, particularly because of the scale of the fraud and the impact on children’s welfare programmes.