A Ghanaian, Samuel Alphonso Nimo, 62, from Owings Mills, Maryland, pled guilty to illegally shipping firearms into the Republic of Ghana and to defrauding the Social Security Administration, announced Sanford C. Coats, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

Following the guilty plea on August 8, Chief United States District Judge, Vicki Miles–LaGrange sentenced Nimo to serve 12 months and one day in prison and pay $27,816.93 in restitution to the Social Security Administration.

According to court filings and information from the plea hearing, from May of 2009 through May of 2011, Nimo participated in illegally shipping at least eight firearms to the Republic of Ghana for resale. In addition, Nimo was receiving SSI benefits for the care of his child for a disability. However, Nimo unlawfully continued to collect SSI benefits from 2008 through 2011, after his child relocated to Germany in 2008 and was no longer entitled to receive benefits.

During the time the offenses were committed, Nimo worked as an epidemiologist for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. He is currently employed by the Baltimore City Health Department in Maryland.

At the combined plea and sentencing hearing on August 8, Nimo pled guilty to illegally shipping firearms to Ghana and to defrauding the Social Security Administration. Chief Judge Miles–LaGrange then sentenced Nimo to serve 10 months in prison on the firearms count and serve 12 months and one day in prison and pay $27,816.93 in restitution to the Social Security Administration on the fraud count.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley L. Altshuler.