Nigerian Caregiver Sentenced for Stealing $17,000 Benefits

Akeatha Dian Akintola, 48, a Nigerian social worker, was sentenced to five months in prison for theft of public funds after pleading guilty to unlawfully diverting $17,638 in Social Security benefits meant for a minor with intellectual disabilities. The U.S.

Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington issued a statement on June 18, detailing that Akintola, who became a social worker for the Snoqualmie Tribe in January 2023, applied to become the representative payee for the child in the tribe's care, despite being prohibited from doing so. She used the child's Social Security number to redirect benefits to a bank account she controlled, spending the funds on personal expenses.

The theft was uncovered in July 2024 during an inquiry into the child's missing benefits. Akintola resigned from her position after denying the claims.

She was ordered to pay restitution of $17,638 to the Social Security Administration and is barred from serving as a representative payee in the future.