By Frank Ulom
NEW YORK (CONVERSEER) – Three Ghanaian nationals have been extradited to the United States to face charges over their alleged roles in an international criminal organisation accused of stealing more than $100 million through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the FBI’s New York Field Office Assistant Director in Charge, Christopher G. Raia, announced on Thursday the unsealing of an indictment against Isaac Oduro Boateng, alias “Kofi Boat”, 36; Inusah Ahmed, alias “Pascal”, 40; Derrick Van Yeboah, alias “Van”, 40; and Patrick Kwame Asare, alias “Borgar”, 39.
Boateng, Ahmed, and Van Yeboah arrived in the U.S. on 7 August 2025 following their extradition from Ghana and were scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger the same day. Asare remains at large. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.
According to prosecutors, the defendants were high-ranking members of a Ghana-based criminal network that targeted vulnerable individuals — often elderly — by creating fake online romantic relationships to gain trust before defrauding them of large sums of money. The group also allegedly orchestrated business email compromise (BEC) attacks to trick companies into wiring funds to accounts controlled by the syndicate.
In total, the group is accused of stealing and laundering more than $100 million from dozens of victims across the U.S. The proceeds were allegedly transferred to West Africa, where they were channelled to senior figures in the network, referred to as “chairmen”. Both Boateng and Ahmed are alleged to have held such senior roles.
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U.S. Attorney Clayton said the case sends a clear warning to cybercriminals operating offshore: “Offshore scammers should know that we, the FBI, and our law enforcement partners will work around the world to combat online fraud and bring perpetrators to justice.”
FBI official Raia condemned the crimes, stating that deceiving companies through BEC campaigns and exploiting vulnerable elderly victims through fraudulent companionship was “not merely appalling but illegal”.
The defendants each face five counts: wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy (each carrying up to 20 years in prison), conspiracy to receive stolen money (up to five years), and receipt of stolen money (up to 10 years). Sentencing, if convicted, will be determined by the court.
The U.S. Justice Department credited Ghana’s Attorney-General’s Office, Economic and Organised Crime Office, Police Service – INTERPOL, Cyber Security Authority, and National Intelligence Bureau for their cooperation in securing the extraditions, alongside the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
The case is being prosecuted by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the Southern District of New York, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner leading the prosecution.
Authorities stressed that the charges remain allegations and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
