A 29-year-old Ghanaian man, Linford Atakora, has been sentenced to approximately nine months in federal custody in the United States for fraudulently using a relative’s identity and documents to secure employment.
Atakora was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Daniel L Hovland on a felony charge of misuse of a Social Security number, according to a statement issued by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota on October 20, 2026.
The court also ordered his removal from the United States and deportation to Ghana.
According to court documents, Atakora used the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a relative who is a United States citizen to obtain employment at Love & Care, Inc., a home health agency in Bismarck, North Dakota, in March 2024.
He presented his relative’s driver’s licence and Social Security card during the employment application process.
Atakora also fraudulently completed an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-4, Employee’s Withholding Certificate, and an employee information form to facilitate his employment.
The statement said Atakora “did not have a valid Social Security number and did not have authorisation to work in the United States.”
As a result of his misrepresentations, Love & Care, Inc. falsely received Health and Human Services ineligible units and claims totalling $51,435.63.
United States Attorney Nicholas W Chase said the case should serve as a warning to workers and employers about the consequences of using another person’s identity to circumvent immigration and employment requirements.
“This case serves as an important reminder to North Dakota workers and employers that working under another person’s identity or social security number to circumvent immigration work requirements is a federal crime,” Chase said.
He added that the authorities would continue pursuing similar cases, stating: “Our office will continue to work with our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these types of offences.”
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J O’Konek.
The statement also referenced the US Department of Justice’s Fraud Enforcement Division, established to investigate and prosecute fraud against the American public.
According to the statement, the division’s work supports President Donald Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a government-wide initiative chaired by Vice President JD Vance to combat fraud, waste and abuse within federal benefit programmes.
Source: Ghanaweb
