Kenyan Man Sentenced for Faking U.S. Citizenship in Oklahoma

Ada, Oklahoma resident Titus Ombina Aboge, 33, is headed to federal prison for 6 months after pleading guilty to falsely claiming he was a U.S. citizen—lying directly to federal immigration authorities on a government employment verification form.

The conviction stems from an I-9 form Aboge filled out on or around December 12, 2012, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. As a citizen of the Republic of Kenya and a foreign national living in the U.S., Aboge knowingly misrepresented himself as an American citizen, violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 911.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations unit spearheaded the probe, uncovering the falsehood during a routine audit of employment documentation. The I-9 form, used to verify identity and eligibility to work, is a legally binding document—falsifying it is a federal felony.

At sentencing in Muskogee, U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White handed down the six-month prison term, underscoring the seriousness of tampering with immigration records. Aboge admitted to the deception, which persisted for years before investigators caught the discrepancy.

Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Hammer prosecuted the case for the federal government, calling the crime a direct breach of national trust and a threat to the integrity of the immigration system. “You don’t get to pick and pretend when it comes to citizenship,” Hammer stated in court.

Aboge, who has no prior criminal record, will serve his sentence in federal custody, followed by potential deportation proceedings upon release. The case highlights the federal government’s continued crackdown on immigration fraud, even for non-violent, paperwork-based offenses.