Two Ghanaian men have pleaded guilty in a United States court to their roles in an international criminal organisation that defrauded victims of more than 100 million dollars through romance scams and business email compromises.
Isaac Oduro Boateng, also known as Kofi Boat, and Inusah Ahmed, also known as Pascal, both of Ghana, entered the pleas before United States District Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York. Boateng pleaded guilty on 29 October 2026, while Ahmed pleaded guilty on 27 October 2026. Each admitted one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
United States Attorney Jamie McDonald said the guilty pleas showed that geographic borders would not shield those who exploit Americans from facing justice. He stated that Boateng and Ahmed helped supervise an organisation that preyed on vulnerable people seeking companionship, turning their trust into a means of stealing millions. Together with their fellow conspirators, they orchestrated a massive fraud that took more than 100 million dollars from victims across the country.
According to the indictment and public court filings, the two men were members of a criminal organisation based primarily in Ghana. The group carried out romance scams and business email compromises against individuals and businesses in the United States. Many victims were older men and women who were led to believe they were in online romantic relationships with people who were in fact fake identities used by members of the conspiracy. After gaining their trust, the conspirators deceived the victims into sending money to the enterprise or into helping them launder funds obtained from other victims. The group also used business email compromise schemes to induce companies to wire funds to accounts controlled by the organisation. In total, the conspiracy stole and laundered more than 100 million dollars from dozens of victims. The proceeds were then sent to West Africa.
Boateng and Ahmed both held the position of chairman within the conspiracy and played a role in managing and supervising its activities. Boateng is being held responsible for approximately 12.5 million dollars in victim losses, while Ahmed is being held responsible for approximately 28.5 million dollars.
Judge Subramanian has previously sentenced a fellow defendant, Derrick Van Yeboah, also known as Van, to 85 months in prison. Another defendant, Patrick Kwame Asare, also known as Borgar, remains at large.
Boateng, aged 37, and Ahmed, aged 41, each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Boateng has agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture in the amount of 12,529,213.98 dollars. Ahmed has agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture in the amount of 28,574,002 dollars. The maximum potential sentences are set by Congress and are provided for information only. The actual sentences will be determined by the judge.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, together with the Ghana Attorney General’s Office and its International Cooperation Unit, the Economic Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Cyber Security Authority, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Ghana National Intelligence Bureau, the Ghana Financial Intelligence Centre, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigation Unit, United States Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Department of State, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra, assisted in securing the extradition of Boateng and Ahmed on 7 August 2025.
The case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner are in charge of the prosecution.
By John James
