Two Ghanaian nationals, described by United States prosecutors as "chairmen" of an international criminal organisation, have pleaded guilty to their roles in a massive cyber fraud syndicate that stole more than $100 million from victims across the United States through romance scams and business email compromises.
Isaac Oduro Boateng, also known as "Kofi Boat," 37, and Inusah Ahmed, also known as "Pascal," 41, both of Ghana, entered their pleas before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York.
Boateng pleaded guilty on Thursday, October 29, 2026, while Ahmed entered his plea on October 27, 2026. Both defendants admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
"These guilty pleas demonstrate that geographic borders will not shield those who exploit Americans from facing justice in our courts," said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald.
"Isaac Oduro Boateng and Inusah Ahmed helped supervise an international criminal organisation that preyed on vulnerable Americans, exploiting their search for companionship and turning their trust into a means of stealing millions. Together with their coconspirators, they orchestrated a massive fraud that stole more than $100 million from victims across the country."
According to the indictment and public court filings, Boateng and Ahmed were members of a criminal organisation primarily based in Ghana that committed romance scams and business email compromises against individuals and businesses across the United States. Many of the conspiracy’s victims were vulnerable older men and women who were tricked into believing they were in online romantic relationships with persons who were, in fact, fake identities assumed by members of the conspiracy.
Once trust was established, the victims were deceived into sending money to the enterprise or into helping them launder funds from other victims. The conspirators also used business email compromise schemes to induce businesses to wire funds, with the proceeds subsequently laundered to West Africa.
As "chairmen" of the conspiracy, the two played a role in managing and supervising its activity. Boateng is being held responsible for approximately $12.5 million in victim loss, while Ahmed is responsible for approximately $28.5 million. As part of their pleas, Boateng agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture, both in the amount of $12,529,213.98, while Ahmed agreed to restitution and forfeiture of $28,574,002.
Judge Subramanian previously sentenced codefendant Derrick Van Yeboah, also known as "Van," to 85 months in prison, while codefendant Patrick Kwame Asare, also known as "Borgar," remains at large.
U.S. Attorney McDonald thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ghana Attorney General’s Office and its International Cooperation Unit, the Economic and 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 U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigation Unit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra for securing the August 7, 2025, extraditions of Boateng and Ahmed. The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner in charge of the prosecution.
