Two Ghanaian nationals, Isaac Oduro Boateng, also known as “Kofi Boat”, and Inusah Ahmed, known as “Pascal”, have pleaded guilty in a US federal court for their roles in orchestrating a vast international criminal organisation responsible for defrauding victims of over US$100 million through romance scams and business email compromise schemes across the United States.
According to the US Department of Justice, Boateng entered his guilty plea on Thursday, October 29, 2026, while Ahmed pleaded guilty two days earlier, on October 27, before US District Judge Arun Subramanian. Both men admitted to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to managing and supervising the Ghana-based network.
Court documents reveal that Boateng and Ahmed served as chairmen of the criminal organisation, which preyed on vulnerable individuals, primarily older men and women, by creating fake online identities and establishing romantic relationships. After gaining the victims’ trust, the fraudsters convinced them to transfer money or help launder proceeds from other victims. The group also targeted businesses, manipulating them via business email compromise schemes into transferring funds to accounts controlled by the network.
Investigators found that the proceeds of these fraudulent activities were laundered back to West Africa. Boateng was held responsible for approximately US$12.5 million in losses, while Ahmed was linked to around US$28.5 million. Both men agreed to pay restitution and forfeiture matching these sums as part of their guilty pleas.
Boateng, 41, and Ahmed, 37, each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Their sentencing dates have yet to be announced. Another member of the organisation, Derrick Van Yeboah (“Van”), has already been sentenced to 85 months in prison, while a fourth alleged member, Patrick Kwame Asare (“Borgar”), is still at large.
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced the guilty pleas, stating that the convictions show international borders are no barrier to justice for financial crimes against Americans. He credited the support of several Ghanaian agencies, including the Attorney General’s Office, Economic and Organised Crime Office, Ghana Police Service, and others—for their roles in the investigation and extradition of the two men, who were brought to the United States on August 7, 2025, following close collaboration between authorities in both countries.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com