Nigerian Social Worker Jailed in US for Embezzling $17k from Disabled Tribal Child

Akeatha Diane Akintola, a 48-year-old social worker from Nigeria, was sentenced to five years in a Washington state prison for stealing $17,638 in Social Security benefits meant for a disabled member of the Snoqualmie Tribe. According to a Justice Department statement, Akintola became the child’s appointed payee in September 2023 despite tribal rules barring social workers from handling a ward’s benefits. She diverted payments into her own account and spent the funds on personal purchases. At sentencing, Magistrate Judge S. Kate Vaughan condemned the “ethical breach beyond imagining,” noting the theft targeted a vulnerable, autistic child. Prosecutors say Akintola fled the US before her original hearing date but later appeared in June 2026 and began her prison term immediately. She must repay the stolen benefits and is permanently barred from acting as a representative payee. The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Snoqualmie Tribal Police.

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