United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, alongside FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of a federal indictment against four Ghanaian nationals implicated in a sophisticated international fraud network.
The defendants, identified as Isaac Oduro Boateng (alias “Kofi Boat”), Inusah Ahmed (alias “Pascal”), Derrick Van Yeboah (alias “Van”), and Patrick Kwame Asare (alias “Borgar”), are accused of orchestrating romance scams and business email compromise (BEC) operations that siphoned over $100 million from victims across the United States.
This case underscores the evolving threat of cyber-enabled financial crimes, where perpetrators leverage social engineering tactics, phishing methodologies, and digital anonymity to exploit vulnerabilities in online communications and financial systems.
Money Laundering Conspiracy
The indictment details a multi-layered conspiracy rooted in Ghana, where the group operated as a hierarchical criminal enterprise.
Employing advanced techniques such as spoofed email domains and fabricated online personas, the conspirators targeted vulnerable demographics, particularly elderly individuals, through romance scams.
These involved creating fictitious romantic relationships via social media and messaging platforms to build trust, subsequently coercing victims into transferring funds under false pretenses like emergency loans or investment opportunities.
In parallel, BEC schemes compromised corporate email accounts using malware or credential stuffing attacks, tricking businesses into wiring large sums to mule accounts controlled by the network.
Once acquired, the illicit proceeds were laundered through a complex web of international transfers, often routed to West African “chairmen” like Boateng and Ahmed, who oversaw the operation’s logistics and distribution.
Global Law Enforcement Collaboration
Following intensive bilateral cooperation, Ghana extradited Boateng, Ahmed, and Van Yeboah to the United States on August 7, 2025, with the trio scheduled for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. Asare remains a fugitive, prompting ongoing international manhunts.
The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, charges each defendant with wire fraud conspiracy, substantive wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to receive stolen money, and receipt of stolen money offenses carrying maximum penalties of up to 20 years per count for the fraud and laundering charges, five years for the conspiracy to receive stolen funds, and 10 years for receipt of stolen money.
According to the report, these statutes reflect the U.S. legal framework under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, emphasizing the severity of interstate electronic fraud and anti-money laundering violations.
U.S. Attorney Clayton emphasized the global reach of such cyber threats, stating, “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’s Raia added, “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.”
The operation’s success relied on technical forensics, including digital trace analysis of IP addresses, blockchain tracking of cryptocurrency flows (where applicable), and metadata from compromised communications, which helped map the conspiracy’s structure.
This prosecution, handled by the Southern District’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit under Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner, highlights the Justice Department’s commitment to dismantling cross-border cyber syndicates.
Ghana’s contributions, via entities like the Economic and Organized Crime Office and Cyber Security Authority, were pivotal in facilitating extraditions, demonstrating enhanced international protocols under mutual legal assistance treaties.
As cybercrimes evolve with technologies like AI-driven deepfakes and encrypted networks, this case serves as a deterrent, reminding actors that jurisdictional boundaries offer no sanctuary from accountability.
The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, with sentencing to be determined by judicial discretion based on federal guidelines.
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