Four Ghanaian citizens have been charged in the United States for allegedly participating in a global criminal network that defrauded victims of more than $100 million through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
The unsealed indictment, announced by Jay Clayton, the US attorney for the southern district of New York, and Christopher G. Raia, FBI assistant director in charge, identifies Isaac Oduro Boateng (aka “Kofi Boat”), Inusah Ahmed (aka “Pascal”), Derrick Van Yeboah (aka “Van”), and Patrick Kwame Asare (aka “Borgar”) as key figures in the operation. Boateng, Ahmed, and Van Yeboah were extradited from Ghana to the US on August 7, while Asare remains at large. They were brought before US magistrate judge Robert W. Lehrburger on Friday, and the case is assigned to US district judge Arun Subramanian.
According to the FBI, the defendants ran a complex scheme that preyed on vulnerable individuals—particularly the elderly—by pretending to be romantic partners online to gain trust and steal money. They also carried out business email compromise attacks to deceive companies into transferring funds to their accounts. Proceeds were allegedly laundered back to West Africa, with Boateng and Ahmed identified as “chairmen” who coordinated operations.
Each defendant faces multiple charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and receipt of stolen money—offenses that could carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison. Clayton commended the FBI and Ghanaian authorities, including the Economic and Organized Crime Office, Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, Cyber Security Authority, and National Intelligence Bureau, for their collaboration.
“As alleged, Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, Derrick van Yeboah, and Patrick Kwame Asare led and participated in an international fraud ring that engaged in a massive conspiracy to defraud vulnerable people and steal from businesses,” Clayton stated. He added that “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.”
The prosecution is being led by Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner of the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.