In a significant victory for international law enforcement, three Ghanaian nationals have been extradited to the United States to face charges for their alleged roles in a sophisticated criminal organization that stole and laundered over $100 million through romance scams and business email compromises.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York announced the unsealing of an indictment against the four high-ranking members of a Ghana-based criminal enterprise. Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, and Derrick van Yeboah arrived in the U.S. on August 7, 2025, to face justice. A fourth defendant, Patrick Kwame Asare, remains at large.
According to the indictment, the criminal organization operated from 2016 to May 2023, preying on vulnerable individuals and businesses across the United States. A central part of their operation involved “romance scams,” where conspirators created fake online identities to build fraudulent romantic relationships with older men and women. Once they had gained the victims’ trust, they manipulated them into sending money or helping to launder funds from other victims.
The scheme also utilized “business email compromises” (BEC), where the defendants would trick businesses into wiring large sums of money to accounts controlled by the criminal enterprise. The stolen funds were then laundered through a network of “money mules” in the U.S. before being transferred back to West Africa.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton praised the collaboration with Ghana, stating that the extradition sends a strong message to offshore scammers that law enforcement will work globally to combat online fraud. “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,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia.
The defendants face multiple charges, including wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. This case serves as a powerful reminder of the global reach of cybercrime and the importance of international cooperation in holding perpetrators accountable.
