A 48-year-old Nigerian social worker, Akeatha Diane Akintola, has been sentenced to five years in prison in Washington, United States, for stealing $17,638 in Social Security benefits intended for a disabled minor who is a member of the Snoqualmie Tribe. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd announced the sentencing in a statement released by the U.S. Department of Justice last week. Akintola pleaded guilty to theft of public funds for the amount she stole from the tribal member.
Court condemns ethical breach
At the sentencing hearing, Magistrate Judge S. Kate Vaughan emphasized the severity of the crime, stating that Akintola “targeted a vulnerable victim” and that there is “no one more vulnerable” than the child in this case. Judge Vaughan described the crime as an “ethical breach beyond imagining.” The judge ordered Akintola into custody immediately to begin serving her sentence.
How the scheme unfolded
According to court records, Akintola became a social worker for the Snoqualmie Tribe in January 2023. In September 2023, she applied by telephone to become the Social Security Representative Payee for a minor child with intellectual disabilities who was a ward of the Tribe. The child’s mother had died, leaving survivor benefits to the child. The Tribe prohibits its social workers from serving as representative payees for any child under its care. Despite this prohibition, Akintola used the child’s Social Security number and her own to apply for the role. Once appointed, she had the benefits deposited into a bank account she controlled and spent the money for her own benefit, including a purchase at a North Bend retailer.
Discovery and flight
In July 2024, after collecting benefits for at least five months, Akintola accompanied her supervisor to the Social Security Administration to inquire about the missing funds. When Social Security officials revealed that Akintola was the representative payee, she denied it to her supervisor. She resigned from her position with the Snoqualmie Tribe the following day. The plea and sentencing hearing was originally scheduled for May 22, 2026, but Akintola failed to appear. Prosecutors learned she had left the U.S. on May 20, 2026, traveling to Togo in West Africa using a passport issued in a different last name. She eventually appeared for the hearing on June 17, 2026.
Impact on the victim
A Tribal representative addressed the court, stating, “In our profession, a social worker is meant to be a safekeeper. A protector for children who have been stripped of their safety, family, and stability. Ms. Akintola did not just fail in that duty; she weaponized her position of power to systematically steal from a grieving, autistic child … her future independence…. This money was not a luxury. It was a lifeline…. The defendant did not just steal money; she manufactured a false relationship of safety with a traumatized child, exploiting that unearned trust for financial gain.”
Restitution and consequences
Akintola must pay $17,638 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. She is also permanently barred from serving as a Social Security Representative Payee for anyone in the future. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG) and the Snoqualmie Tribal Police. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica M. Ly, an attorney with the Social Security Administration specially designated to prosecute Social Security fraud in federal court.
