She Built a Charity for Poor Children — Then Looted It: Dr. Nkechy Ezeh Sentenced to 70 Months for Stealing Preschool Funds to Pay Family, Travel, and Hide Money Overseas

‘“‘Betraying the Littlest Ones’: Nonprofit Founder Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years for Stealing $1.4 Million Meant for Poor Preschoolers — Program Shut Down, 35 Laid Off, and Vulnerable Families Left With Nothing”
A federal judge sentenced a West Michigan nonprofit founder to nearly six years in prison for orchestrating a fraud scheme that diverted more than $1.4 million intended for early childhood programs, federal prosecutors announced.

Dr. Nkechy Ezeh, 61, of Kent County, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for fraud, along with a concurrent 60-month sentence for tax evasion, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou also ordered Ezeh to pay $1.4 million in restitution to victims and $390,174 to the Internal Revenue Service. She was taken into custody immediately following sentencing.

Prosecutors said Ezeh founded the Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative, a nonprofit that received federal funding and private donations to support preschool programs in underserved communities. The organization provided services including meals, transportation, and educational support for young children.

“Nkechy Ezeh’s greed is beyond reprehensible,” VerHey said. “She stole taxpayer and private-donor dollars meant for low-income children in our community. Instead of helping kids, she spent that money on herself. The stolen money could have supported hundreds of West Michigan children and their families. Judge Jarbou’s sentence was perfectly appropriate.”

Ezeh misused funds over several years, directing money toward personal expenses, including travel and family-related costs. Investigators found she placed family members on the organization’s payroll for little or no work and used intermediaries to transfer funds overseas.

The fraud led to the nonprofit’s closure in 2023, resulting in layoffs of 35 employees and loss of services for children and families in West Michigan. Many of those affected lived in low-income households, with a majority of children served by the program under the age of five and below the federal poverty line.

A co-conspirator, the organization’s former bookkeeper, was previously sentenced to more than four years in prison for her role in the scheme.

Billed for Care While Patients Were Locked Up or Nowhere Near: Milwaukee Woman Accused of Stealing $2.2 Million from Medicaid — Then Bought a Restaurant, Car Wash, and Luxury Vehicle

A Milwaukee woman has been charged with defrauding Wisconsin’s Medicaid program out of nearly $2.2 million, fraudulently obtaining a federal pandemic relief loan, and laundering money through a series of business transactions, according to state authorities.

Debbie Long, 44, is accused of carrying out the scheme through her company, Pinnacle Home Health Care, LLC, where she served as owner and administrator. Prosecutors allege that between 2017 and 2022, Long submitted fraudulent claims for personal care services that were never provided, resulting in millions of dollars in improper Medicaid payments.

According to the criminal complaint, investigators identified widespread irregularities in billing records. These included claims for impossible or highly improbable hours of care, billing for services that patients and caregivers said never occurred, and continued billing after services had ended. In some cases, services were billed while patients were hospitalized or incarcerated, which is not eligible for reimbursement.

Authorities also allege that Long inflated payroll and employee figures to obtain a $219,072 loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program. The complaint further states that she used proceeds from the alleged fraud to purchase a restaurant, a luxury vehicle, and a car wash.

Investigators say Long attempted to conceal the source of funds by moving money through multiple accounts and shell companies. One entity cited in the complaint, described as a housing program, was allegedly used to distribute funds and attract participants while masking financial activity.

A detailed analysis of company records showed a significant gap between the number of care hours billed to Medicaid and wages paid to employees. Investigators concluded that if the billed services had actually been performed, workers would have been paid well below minimum wage, raising further concerns about the legitimacy of the claims.

Interviews with patients and personal care workers also contradicted billing records. Some caregivers told investigators they were listed as providing services to individuals they did not know, while others said billing continued after they stopped working for the company. Several patients reported receiving fewer services than billed or none at all.

Long faces five felony charges, including theft by fraud, fraud against a financial institution, wire fraud, and multiple counts of money laundering. If convicted, she could face significant fines and prison time.

The charges are allegations, and Long is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

View a copy of the filed complaint.

A Southern California vascular clinic and its physician have agreed to pay more than $6.7 million to settle allegations that they billed Medicare for medically unnecessary procedures, federal officials said.

Serrano Kidney & Vascular Access Center, based in Huntington Park, and its owner, Dr. Feliciano Serrano, reached the settlement to resolve claims brought under the False Claims Act. The agreement does not include an admission of liability.

According to federal authorities, Serrano performed a pattern of unnecessary vascular procedures on Medicare patients over several years. The allegations focus on two categories of treatment: dialysis access interventions and procedures related to peripheral artery disease.

Prosecutors said that between 2016 and 2024, Serrano conducted repeated dialysis-related procedures, including angioplasties and stent placements, on patients who did not require them. In some cases, procedures were scheduled routinely without clinical justification and repeated frequently despite providing no measurable benefit. One patient underwent dozens of stent placements over several years, including during a period when dialysis was reportedly not needed.

A second set of allegations involves treatments for peripheral artery disease between 2019 and 2024. Authorities said Serrano performed invasive procedures on patients with minimal or no significant arterial blockage and mild symptoms. In some instances, procedures were performed on both legs even when complaints involved only one, and treatments were repeated regularly. Patients were allegedly told they faced a risk of amputation without intervention, despite limited medical basis for that claim.

Investigators further alleged that medical records were falsified or exaggerated to justify the procedures. This included overstating the severity of arterial narrowing, documenting symptoms that patients did not report, and indicating that conservative treatments had failed when they had not. Authorities said some procedures were performed on vessels that did not meet accepted medical standards for intervention.

Under the settlement, Serrano will pay approximately $6.51 million to the federal government and about $229,000 to the state of California.

The case originated from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act, which allows private parties to sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The whistleblower in this case will receive nearly $1 million.

The allegations resolved by the settlement have not been proven in court, and no determination of liability has been made.