Two Ghanaian brothers and a woman based in the United States have been indicted over an alleged international romance fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly Americans.
The suspects, Jamal Abubakari, also known as “Arrangement,” Kamal Abubakari, also known as “Lancaster,” both aged 22, and Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
The indictment, unsealed by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio and published on its official website, said the accused persons were arrested in Virginia and remained in custody pending further proceedings.
Investigators alleged that between July 2024 and April 2026, the suspects and their accomplices operated romance fraud schemes through fake online identities on dating platforms and social media to deceive elderly victims into believing they were in genuine relationships.
Prosecutors said the victims were allegedly manipulated through fabricated stories, false emergencies and promises of companionship before being persuaded to transfer large sums of money to accounts controlled by the network.
According to U.S. authorities, portions of the proceeds were transferred to co-conspirators in Ghana and other countries.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the case formed part of a broader federal crackdown on organised romance fraud operations linked to Ghana and targeting vulnerable elderly citizens across the United States.
Authorities said related cases involving similar criminal patterns had been assigned to one U.S. District Judge to ensure efficient coordination of proceedings.
The Department of Justice said several defendants connected to the wider investigations were awaiting trial or sentencing, while at least nine individuals had pleaded guilty and received combined prison sentences of about 50 years.
In one related case, Frederick Kumi, also known as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng or “Abu Trica,” from Swedru, and Daniel Yussif, also known as “Denteni” or “Slab,” from Accra, were charged in December 2025 with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
Another case, identified as United States v. David Onyinye Abuanekwu et al., resulted in convictions and prison sentences for Ghanaian nationals and their U.S.-based collaborators.
Among those convicted was Dwayne Asafo Adjei, a 29-year-old Ghanaian, who was sentenced to 71 months imprisonment, three years supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of US$372,943.
Nancy Adom, 30, from Akron and Columbus, Ohio, received 71 months imprisonment and was ordered to pay more than US$1 million in restitution, while Eric Aidoo, 46, of Columbus, Ohio, also received a 71-month sentence and restitution exceeding US$668,000.
Nader Wasif, 31, of Brentwood, Tennessee, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice.
Authorities also disclosed that Kelvin Asmah, a 28-year-old Ghanaian national, had been arrested following charges contained in a second superseding indictment linked to the investigations.
In another connected case, United States v. Otuo Amponsah et al., multiple defendants received prison sentences after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
Otuo Amponsah, 34, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 108 months imprisonment and ordered to pay more than US$3.3 million in restitution.
Portia Joe, 28, also of Columbus, Ohio, received 51 months imprisonment and restitution exceeding US$2 million, while Anna Amponsah, 35, was sentenced to 108 months imprisonment and ordered to pay more than US$1.4 million in restitution.
Hannah Adom, 27, of Akron and Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to 71 months imprisonment and ordered to pay nearly US$279,000 in restitution.
The Justice Department said the investigations were led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cleveland Division with support from Ghanaian and international law enforcement agencies, including Ghana’s Attorney General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Ghana Immigration Service, the National Intelligence Bureau and the Narcotics Control Commission.
Other supporting agencies included Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI Washington Field Office, the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
The indictment emphasised that all accused persons were presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The prosecution forms part of the United States Elder Justice Initiative Programme established under the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 to combat elder abuse, financial fraud and scams targeting elderly persons.
