Ghanaian National Arrested by Federal Agents in North Carolina After Identity Theft Conviction
Federal immigration authorities have arrested Mohammed Amin Zakariah, a national of Ghana, in Robeson County, North Carolina, following his conviction for identity theft. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the apprehension on January 30, 2026, identifying Zakariah as a foreign national present in the United States without lawful status who had violated state criminal laws.
Zakariah was taken into custody during a nationwide enforcement operation focused on individuals with prior criminal records. He had previously been found guilty of identity theft in Robeson County. Under North Carolina law, identity theft is a felony offense that involves knowingly obtaining, possessing, or using another person’s identifying information to commit fraud, often to obtain credit, goods, or services.
DHS officials highlighted this arrest as part of a broader effort to remove non-citizens deemed threats to public safety or the integrity of the immigration system. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated that the agency prioritizes the arrest of individuals who have been charged with or convicted of crimes in the United States. Agency data indicates that approximately 70 percent of recent arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) involve individuals with criminal histories.
While federal authorities emphasize the necessity of these operations for community security, legal advocates for immigrants often caution against conflating different types of criminal convictions. Objections are frequently raised that identity theft charges in immigration cases sometimes stem from the use of false documents to secure employment rather than to steal assets from individuals. However, the specific details regarding the nature of Zakariah’s identity theft were not disclosed in the official release.
Zakariah remains in federal custody and faces deportation proceedings to repatriate him to Ghana. His conviction renders him inadmissible and removable under U.S. immigration law, which classifies crimes involving moral turpitude, such as theft and fraud, as grounds for deportation.
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