Two Ghanaians, Isaac Oduro Boateng and Inusah Ahmed, have pleaded guilty for their roles in an international criminal organisation that swindled older American women of $100 million via romance scams and business email compromises.
The U.S. Department of Justice described the duo of Messrs Boateng and Ahmed as chairmen of the Ghana romance scam network while announcing their guilty plea on Thursday.
“Mr Boateng and Ahmed were members of a criminal organization primarily based in Ghana that committed romance scams and business email compromises against individuals and businesses located across the United States,” the DoJ stated.
It added that the duo played a role in managing and supervising its activity.
Mr Boateng, 37, pleaded guilty on October 29, while Mr Ahmed, 41, admitted guilt on October 27, 2026. Both defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
Mr Boateng is being tried for involvement in a romance scam resulting in approximately $12.5 million in victims’ loss and Mr Ahmed is facing trial for a romance scam resulting in approximately $28.5 million by victims.
Each of the duo pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Mr Boateng agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture, in the amount of $12,529,213.98, Mr Ahmed also agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture both in the amount of $28,574,002.
“In total, the conspiracy stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims. After stealing the money, the fraud proceeds were then laundered to West Africa,” the DoJ said.
It added that Judge Arun Subramanian had previously sentenced their co-defendant Derrick Van Yeboah to 85 months in prison, while another co-defendant Patrick Kwame Asare remains at large.
Messrs Boateng, Ahmed and their co-defendants used fake identities to lure many of the victims, who were vulnerable older men and women, into believing that they were in online romantic relationships swindling them of their hard earned money.
U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald said the guilty pleas demonstrated that geographic borders would not shield those exploiting Americans from facing justice in our courts.
“Isaac Oduro Boateng and Inusah Ahmed helped supervise an international criminal organisation that preyed on vulnerable Americans, exploiting their search for companionship and turning their trust into a means of stealing millions. Together with their coconspirators, they orchestrated a massive fraud that stole more than $100 million from victims across the country,” Mr McDonald said.
This comes after Ghanaian twin brothers Jamal Abubakar, Kamal Abubakar, pleaded guilty to charges of being part of an international criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from victims who were mostly older Americans.
Earlier in October, the FBI raided scam network hideouts in Ghana, arresting hundreds of wire and romance fraudsters and seizing about $17 million.