A United States court has sentenced a Nigerian-born social worker, Akeatha Diane Akintola, to five months in prison for fraudulently obtaining and spending more than $17,000 in Social Security benefits meant for a disabled child under her care.
Akintola, 48, was convicted after pleading guilty to theft of public funds, according to a statement issued by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Authorities said she unlawfully diverted $17,638 in benefits designated for a minor with intellectual disabilities while serving as a social worker with the Snoqualmie Tribe.
The court ordered her immediate remand following her guilty plea and sentencing before Magistrate Judge Kate Vaughan.
During the proceedings, the judge criticised Akintola’s conduct, describing the offence as particularly disturbing because it involved the exploitation of a vulnerable child.
Investigators revealed that Akintola joined the Snoqualmie Tribe as a social worker in January 2023 and later sought appointment as the Social Security representative payee for a child under the tribe’s care.
Prosecutors said tribal regulations expressly prohibit social workers from assuming such a role for children under their supervision. Despite the restriction, Akintola allegedly used the child’s Social Security details alongside her own information to secure the appointment.
Authorities stated that she subsequently redirected the survivor benefits into a personal bank account and used the funds for her private expenses.
According to court documents, the child’s mother had died, leaving behind Social Security survivor benefits intended to support the child’s welfare and future needs.
The fraud was uncovered in July 2024 when Akintola accompanied her supervisor to a Social Security Administration office to inquire about the child’s missing benefits.
Officials informed them that Akintola had been registered as the child’s representative payee. Prosecutors said she denied the claim and resigned from her position the following day.
The case took another turn when Akintola failed to appear for a scheduled plea and sentencing hearing in May 2026.
Investigators later discovered that she had travelled to Togo two days before the hearing using a passport bearing a different surname.
She eventually returned to the United States and appeared before the court, where Judge Vaughan ordered that her prison term begin immediately.
A representative of the Snoqualmie Tribe, speaking during the sentencing hearing, accused Akintola of betraying the trust placed in her as a child welfare professional.
The representative told the court that the stolen funds were intended to provide stability and long-term support for an autistic child who had already suffered the loss of a parent.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered Akintola to repay the full $17,638 to the Social Security Administration as restitution.
She was also permanently barred from serving as a Social Security representative payee in the United States.
