Overview
- Nkechy Ezeh, 61, received a 70‑month federal prison term for fraud with a concurrent 60‑month sentence for tax evasion and was taken into custody to start her sentence.
- The judge ordered $1.4 million in restitution to victims and $390,174 to the IRS.
- Prosecutors said she put relatives on a ghost payroll, used money mules to send funds to family in Nigeria, and paid for travel and a family wedding with stolen money.
- Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, funded by Early Head Start, the Education Department, and major charities, shut down in 2023, cutting 35 jobs and stripping support from preschools in underserved West Michigan neighborhoods.
- The investigation by HHS‑OIG and IRS‑Criminal Investigation led to charges against others, including former bookkeeper Sharon Killebrew, who was sentenced to 54 months in 2025.