US court sentences celebrated Nigerian professor to 70 months imprisonment over theft of $1.4m donor fund intended for vulnerable children

A United States district court in Michigan has sentenced a Nigerian professor, Dr. Nkechy Ezeh, 61, to 70 months in federal prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that stole $1.4 million in taxpayer and donor money intended for vulnerable preschool children. U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey made the announcement in a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Ezeh, of Kent County, Michigan, was also sentenced to a concurrent prison term of 60 months for evading income taxes.  Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou, who imposed the sentence, characterized Ezeh as a fraud and a thief, described the scheme as brazen ...