A 22-year-old Ghanaian, Jefferson Zormelo, has been sentenced to two years in prison in Canada after using a fraudulent Canadian passport to make 16 international trips into and out of the country.
Zormelo was sentenced on Monday, November 9, 2026, by Justice Karen Molle in Calgary, Alberta, after pleading guilty earlier this year to an offence under the Canadian Citizenship Act.
According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), the judge said his actions undermined the integrity of Canada’s citizenship system and warned that the use of fraudulent travel documents could threaten public safety and national security.
Following deductions for the time he has already spent in custody since his arrest, Zormelo is expected to serve approximately 14 more months in prison.
Court records indicate that Zormelo moved to Canada in 2021 on a study permit. However, immigration authorities discovered in 2024 that he was no longer attending school and issued an exclusion order for his removal from the country.
He later obtained several identification documents, including proof of Canadian citizenship, using a false identity.
In December 2024, he acquired a Canadian passport under the name Mitchell Leblanc. He then used the document over the next 15 months to travel into and out of Canada 16 times through international airports in Montreal, Toronto and Halifax.
His activities came to light in April 2026 when officers of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) arrested him in Calgary.
The arrest followed an incident in which he presented a fraudulent permanent resident card bearing the Leblanc identity to officials at the United States Consulate.
A subsequent search of his hotel room uncovered the fake Canadian passport and other items linked to the false identity.
During the sentencing hearing, prosecutor Tyler Lord asked the court to impose a five-year prison term, while Zormelo’s lawyer, Devin Frank, argued for a sentence limited to the time he had already spent in custody.
The defence appealed for leniency, citing the difficult circumstances Zormelo reportedly experienced while growing up in Ghana, including poverty and abuse.
Justice Molle acknowledged that he had been desperate to live and work in Canada but said the seriousness of the offence and the planning involved could not be overlooked.
She described the passport fraud as sophisticated and elaborate, warning that individuals who use their intelligence to carry out complex criminal activities can pose significant risks to public safety.
“Clever criminals pose a greater risk to public safety,” she said.
