A 29-year-old Ghanaian man has been sentenced to about nine months in federal custody in the United States after admitting he used
A 29-year-old Ghanaian man has been sentenced to about nine months in federal custody in the United States after admitting he used a relative’s identity to get a job at a home health agency.
Linford Atakora was sentenced by US District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland on a felony charge of misuse of a Social Security number, according to a statement from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota, issued on October 20, 2026.
Besides the prison term, the court ordered Atakora removed from the United States. He will be deported to Ghana once his sentence is served.
How the scheme worked
Court documents show that in March 2024, Atakora applied for a job at Love & Care, Inc., a home health agency in Bismarck, North Dakota. Instead of using his own details, he gave the name, date of birth and Social Security number of a relative who is a US citizen.
To back up the application, he presented the relative’s driver’s licence and Social Security card. He also filled out an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-4, the Employee’s Withholding Certificate, along with an employee information form, both under the relative’s identity. Prosecutors say these documents were used to facilitate his employment.
In effect, Atakora worked and was paid under another person’s name for an employer that provides care services, with the relative’s identity tied to the employment and tax paperwork.
The charge
Misuse of a Social Security number is a federal offence under US law. It covers using a number that was assigned to someone else, or falsely claiming a number as one’s own, to obtain a benefit or for any other lawful purpose. Prosecutors treat such cases seriously because they can leave the real number holder with tax records, wage reports and other official data that do not belong to them.
Using a relative’s details is not unusual in identity-related fraud, as relatives often have access to the personal documents of the person whose identity is stolen. Authorities in the US routinely urge residents to guard their Social Security numbers and check their records for signs of misuse.
Deportation order
The removal order means Atakora’s time in the United States will end after his sentence. Federal courts can order removal in cases involving non-citizens convicted of certain offences, and the US Attorney’s Office confirmed he will be sent back to Ghana.
The case also carries a warning for Ghanaians and other foreign nationals seeking work abroad. Migration advisers often caution that working without proper authorisation, or presenting false identity documents, can bring criminal prosecution, jail time and a permanent bar on returning, on top of any immigration consequences.
What we know and what we don’t
The US Attorney’s Office has not, in the details available, said whether Atakora entered the US legally or how long he worked at the agency before the fraud was discovered. It is also unclear how investigators uncovered the scheme.
Authorities have likewise not publicly said how the relative was affected, or whether the home health agency faced any consequences.
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