Two Ghanaian twin brothers have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the United States in a case involving an international romance fraud network that cost victims more than $9 million.
Jamal Abubakari, 22, and his twin brother, Kamal Abubakari, 22, entered their guilty pleas on October 13, while Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty to the same charge on October 20, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
The three defendants were indicted in May on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, the defendants and their alleged accomplices targeted older Americans through dating websites and social media between July 2024 and April 2026.
They allegedly created false identities to establish close relationships with their victims, often presenting themselves as romantic partners. They then used fabricated stories to persuade the victims to transfer money into accounts controlled by members of the network.
Some of the proceeds were sent to accomplices in Ghana and elsewhere, the office said.
The victims collectively lost more than $9 million, according to prosecutors. They included residents of Williams County in Ohio, people in 24 other US states, as well as victims in Germany and Austria.
The Abubakari brothers are also known by the aliases “Arrangement” and “Lancaster”, respectively, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
As part of their guilty pleas, the three defendants agreed to forfeit jewellery seized during their arrests. The items included luxury watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings.
The case is among several related prosecutions involving romance fraud networks linked to Ghana that are being coordinated before a single US District Judge, prosecutors said.
Nine defendants in related cases have already pleaded guilty and received prison sentences totalling about 50 years.
Each of the three defendants faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal judge will determine the sentences after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Abubakari brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2027, while Opoku-Boachie is expected to appear for sentencing on February 10, 2027.
The FBI’s Cleveland Division led the investigation, with assistance from the US Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, according to the US Attorney’s Office.
US Attorney David M. Toepfer acknowledged the assistance of several agencies and law enforcement partners, including Ghana’s Attorney General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service and the Cyber Security Authority.
Other agencies involved in the investigation included Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the US State Department, the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Legal Attaché Office in Accra, and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Assistant US Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Elliot Morrison are prosecuting the case.
The prosecution forms part of the US Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative, which stems from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017.
