…Suspect blames Greed, Temptation & Devil for crime, ICE to handle deportation after jail term
*Pleads guilty to masterminding a massive wire fraud and tax evasion scheme
*Divert funds to self, friends and family members, create fake invoices, set up fictitious daycare centres
*Used stolen money to buy luxurious cars, lavish trips to Hawaii, Liberia, Nigeria
*“Victims mostly children of colour under the age of five years old, 72 percent of whom lived below the federal poverty level in some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Kent County, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek”- Clay Stiffler, Assistant U.S. Attorney
*BY TINUADE ADEBAYO/American Foreign Correspondent, NAIJA STANDARD NEWSPAPER Inc USA
SHE came to the United States as an Immigrant scholar. A highly respected woman who finally settled in Michigan. She is a professor, a former don at Aquinas College and CEO of the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative (ELNC). NKECHY EZEH has admitted that she stole over $1 Million (£780,000) meant for early learning programmes for poor children in Michigan. After been caught in her web of crime, she blamed her greed, temptation and the Devil for her calamities.
It was a massive wire fraud and tax evasion which she personally masterminded.
Investigators discovered Ezeh diverting public funds to herself, friends, and members of her family. She reportedly created fake invoices, set up fictitious daycare centres, and used the stolen money to fund a lavish lifestyle, including trips to Hawaii, Liberia, and Nigeria.
*The fallout has been devastating: A major non-profit shut down, 35 jobs lost and Support withdrawn from families in some of Michigan’s poorest communities
Ezeh, who was a professor at Aquinas College, pleaded guilty this week to charges involving the systematic theft of funds intended for early learning initiatives for impoverished children. The fallout from the scandal has already forced the closure of a prominent local non-profit organisation.
*The mechanism of the fraud:
The court heard how Ezeh, acting as CEO of ELNC, used her position to funnel taxpayer money to herself, friends, and family members, while she worked alongside the non-profit’s bookkeeper, Sharon Killebrew.
Ezeh created nearly $500,000 in fraudulent invoices and established two fictitious daycare businesses to mask the movement of stolen funds.
The embezzled money reportedly financed a lavish lifestyle, including international travel to Hawaii, Liberia, and Nigeria.
As Killebrew was previously sentenced to 54 months in prison, Ezeh now faces up to 20 years for wire fraud and an additional five years for tax evasion.
The collapse of the ELNC has had a devastating effect on the local community, resulting in the loss of 35 jobs and the withdrawal of support for families in some of Michigan’s most deprived areas.
*Clay Stiffler, Assistant U.S. Attorney, highlighted the profile of those harmed by the scheme:
“The victims were mostly children of colour under the age of five years old, 72 percent of whom lived below the federal poverty level in some of the poorest neighbourhoods in Kent County, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek.”
Amy DeLeeuw, President of the ELNC, expressed her outrage following the court proceedings:
“Her theft of millions of dollars intended for the most vulnerable of children was brazen, all-encompassing, and unconscionable. To date, Nkechy has made no effort to repay any of the millions of dollars she stole.
*Institutional reputation and accountability:
Prior to the discovery of fraud, Ezeh was a celebrated figure in Michigan’s educational and political circles. She had received numerous accolades, including “Woman of the Year” awards, and was appointed to a state executive committee by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.
*Responding to the guilty plea, Mary Chartier, Ezeh’s defence solicitor, stated:
“Ezeh is committed to taking full responsibility and accountability for her actions. She is deeply remorseful to anyone who has been negatively impacted.”
Ezeh has agreed to pay $1.4 million in restitution to government agencies and nearly $400,000 in unpaid taxes. A formal sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 13.
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