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A United States federal court has sentenced Nigerian-born professor, Nkechy Ezeh, to 70 months imprisonment over a fraud scheme involving the theft of about $1.4 million meant for vulnerable children and families in Michigan. Ezeh, who previously worked as a professor and operated a non-profit organisation known as the Empowerment Learning Network Center, was convicted after pleading guilty to wire fraud and tax-related offences. 
According to US prosecutors, Ezeh fraudulently obtained funds through grants and contracts intended to provide educational and support services for disadvantaged children and low-income families. Authorities said investigations revealed that large portions of the money were diverted for personal use instead of the programmes they were intended to support. Prosecutors further stated that the fraud contributed to the eventual collapse and closure of the organisation in 2023. 
The court also sentenced Ezeh to a concurrent 60-month term for tax-related offences connected to the scheme. In addition to the prison sentence, she was ordered to pay restitution and could face supervised release after completing her jail term. US authorities described the case as a serious abuse of public trust, particularly because the funds involved were earmarked for children and vulnerable communities. 
The conviction adds to a growing list of fraud-related prosecutions involving Nigerians in the United States and other countries in recent years. American authorities have repeatedly warned that financial crimes involving grants, cyber fraud, healthcare schemes, and identity theft remain a major focus of federal investigations. 
