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Saturday, August 9, 2025

Three Ghanaians extradited to U.S. over alleged $100 million romance wire fraud

The FBI said that it was working with its partners across the globe to combat online fraud.

• August 9, 2025
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

Three Ghanaians, Isaac Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, and Derrick van Yeboah, were on Thursday extradited to the U.S. for stealing “more than $100 million from victims via romance scams and business email compromises.”

The trio “arrived in the U.S. on August 7, 2025,” and will be presented to face trial “before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger,” a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York on Friday said, adding that the fourth member of the gang, Patrick Asare, was at large.

According to the statement, Boateng, 36; Ahmed, 40; Van Yeboah, 40; and Asare, 39, each of Ghana, are charged with one-count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one-count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one-count of money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one-count of conspiracy to receive stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one-count of receipt of stolen money, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said that it was working with its partners across the globe to combat online fraud and bring  “offshore scammers” to justice.

The Ghanaian trio, FBI Assistant Director, Christopher G. Raia, said “have been brought to the United States to be held accountable for their alleged roles in scamming companies and vulnerable Americans out of over $100 million.
“Deceiving businesses using email compromise campaigns and tricking innocent elderly victims through fraudulent companionship in order to exploit their trust and finances is not merely appalling but illegal.”

He noted that the gang after defrauding vulnerable Americans, laundered the proceeds to “West Africa, where they were largely funnelled to individuals called ‘chairmen,’ who directed the activities of other members of the conspiracy.”

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