US court approves Hajia 4Reall self-deportation

A United States court has granted a request to release Mona Faiz Montrage's passport, paving the way for her deportation to Ghana after completing her prison sentence.

Hajia 4Reall, a Ghanaian socialite and influencer, is serving a 12-month sentence at the Federal Detention Centre in Philadelphia after pleading guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen money. Her legal team, Fast Law, filed the request on 1 November 2024, emphasising that the passport's release was necessary to initiate self-deportation proceedings.

We represent Ms Mona Montrage on the above-captioned matter. We write with the consent of the government to respectfully request the release of Ms Montrage’s passport, which was surrendered to Pretrial Services at the time of her arrest, parts of the letter read.

The request aligns with a previous court judgment stipulating the return of her passport upon completing her sentence. According to the arrangement, Ms Montrage will be escorted by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) from the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facility directly to the airport. She will then board a flight to Ghana without making any domestic stops.

Ms Montrage, who self-surrendered on 29 July 2024, is currently serving a year and a day at the detention facility. Court documents confirm that prosecutors did not oppose her application, and US District Judge J. Paul Oetken approved the request, directing the release of her passport to her lawyers.

Legal Background

Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia 4Reall, was sentenced on 28 June 2024 for her involvement in a fraudulent scheme that defrauded individuals and businesses in the United States between 2013 and 2019.

In addition to her prison term, the 32-year-old was ordered to forfeit $216,475 and pay $1,387,458 in restitution. Upon her return to Ghana, she will serve three years under supervised release.

This court ruling marks the beginning of her journey back to Ghana, with legal proceedings set to ensure her immediate deportation following her release from prison.

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