A Ghanaian man who used a fraudulent Canadian passport under a false identity to leave and re-enter Canada 16 times has been sentenced to two years in prison for citizenship fraud.
Jefferson Zormelo, 22, pleaded guilty earlier this year to violating the Canadian Citizenship Act. On Monday in Calgary, Justice Karen Molle stated that Zormelo’s actions "attacks the integrity of the Canadian citizenship regime."
She noted that the offence jeopardised public safety and national security, adding that "fraudulent use of Canadian passports affects Canada’s international reputation." With credit for the time he has served since his arrest, Zormelo has about 14 months left behind bars.
According to an agreed statement of facts filed as part of the guilty plea, Zormelo came to Canada on a study permit in 2021. In 2024, when authorities determined he was no longer enrolled in school, an exclusion order was issued for his removal from the country.
He then obtained identification documents, including proof of citizenship under a false name, and used that to get a Canadian passport issued under the name Mitchell Leblanc in December 2024.
Over the next 15 months, Zormelo entered and exited Canada through the international airports in Montreal, Toronto, and Halifax using the Leblanc passport a total of 16 times.
In April 2026, he was arrested by Canada Border Services Agency officers in Calgary after presenting a fake permanent residency card in the Leblanc name to officials at the U.S. Consulate. Officers searched Zormelo's hotel room and discovered the fraudulent passport, among other items.
Prosecutor Tyler Lord had sought a five-year prison sentence, while defence lawyer Devin Frank asked the court to consider a time-served sentence of nine months, arguing his client experienced a difficult upbringing in Ghana involving poverty and abuse.
The judge noted that Zormelo was "desperate to live and work in Canada." In the end, Justice Molle outlined a number of aggravating factors, including the fact that Zormelo used his intellect to commit the "sophisticated, elaborate" fraud. "Clever criminals pose a greater risk to public safety," she said.
