Another midwestern state is facing a fraud problem. A Nigerian-born professor once celebrated for her leadership in early childhood education has admitted to a yearslong fraud scheme that siphoned more than $1.4 million from a nonprofit created to serve some of Michigan’s most vulnerable children.
Nkechy Ezeh, the founder and former CEO of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC), pleaded guilty on January 14, 2026, to federal charges of wire fraud and tax evasion in U.S. District Court in Lansing. The plea was entered before Chief Judge Hala Jarbou and marks a dramatic fall for a nonprofit leader whose organization operated for more than a decade before collapsing in 2023.
Federal prosecutors say Ezeh orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving fraudulent invoices and fictitious daycare businesses, allowing her to divert charitable and government-funded dollars for personal use. ELNC, which supported high-quality preschool programs across Kent County, Battle Creek, and Kalamazoo, had raised substantial funding from foundations as well as state and federal sources to expand early childhood education in underserved communities, writes The Midwesterner.
According to court records, Ezeh worked closely with ELNC bookkeeper Sharon Killebrew to generate nearly $500,000 in fake invoices. Those invoices were then approved by Ezeh herself in her capacity as CEO. Prosecutors say additional money was funneled through sham daycare entities, with proceeds spent on personal expenses, including travel to Hawaii, Nigeria, and Liberia.
Killebrew previously pleaded guilty to related charges, including conspiracy to defraud a federally funded program of approximately $1.17 million and tax evasion. She was sentenced to four years and six months in federal prison.
As part of her plea agreement, Ezeh agreed to pay $1.4 million in restitution to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Early Head Start Programs and other affected entities, as well as approximately $390,000 in back taxes. She faces up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and up to five years for tax evasion. Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2026. Ezeh remains free on a $100,000 unsecured bond pending the hearing.
Her attorney, Mary Chartier, said Ezeh “is committed to taking full responsibility and accountability for her actions. She is deeply remorseful to anyone who has been negatively impacted.”
ELNC leadership offered a sharply different assessment. In a statement, ELNC President Amy DeLeeuw said, “Her theft of million of dollars intended for the most vulnerable of children was brazen, all encompassing and unconscionable.” DeLeeuw added, “To date, Nkechy has made no effort to repay any of the millions of dollars she stole from ELNC,” and said the board plans to submit a victim impact statement ahead of sentencing.
The case has drawn heightened attention as states across the country grapple with fraud in government-funded child care and social services programs. Federal and state investigations are ongoing in Minnesota and Ohio, while in Michigan, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt has recently called for a state audit of the Child Development and Care Program. That program is expected to receive $540 million in taxpayer funds this year to subsidize child care for low-income families on the behest of Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
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This is nationwide Remedy or lose $$
Deeply remorseful IS NOT ENOUGH. That is simply the reaction for being caught. These people are immoral and evil to the core. When stealing money from organizations allegedly set up to help poor and less fortunate individuals it is the height of evil. The people providing the money, in this case the American taxpayers, need to see severe punishment. Financial restitution yes. But physical punishment is even more important. Decent people need to see that their way of life, living honestly and decently is not allowed to be “spit upon” by criminals.