Ghanaian twins and US woman plead guilty in $9m romance fraud

Ghanaian twin brothers and an American woman have pleaded guilty to participating in an international romance fraud network that cost victims more than $9 million, US prosecutors said. The operation targeted mostly older Americans, with victims also identified in Germany and Austria.

Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, both 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on October 13, 2026. Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, entered a guilty plea to the same charge on October 20, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

Court documents described a scheme operating from about July 2024 to April 2026 through dating websites and social media platforms. Prosecutors said the defendants worked with others to create false identities and build close personal relationships with people they intended to defraud, often presenting those relationships as romantic.

After establishing those connections, network members used fabricated stories to persuade victims to transfer money into financial accounts controlled by the conspirators, authorities said. Some of the money was subsequently passed to accomplices in Ghana and elsewhere, extending the operation beyond the countries where victims lived.

The losses were spread across a wide geographical area rather than confined to one community. Prosecutors identified victims in northern Ohio’s Williams County, 24 other US states, Germany and Austria, illustrating the cross-border reach of the online relationships described in the case.

The three defendants had been arrested in Virginia, according to the indictment announcement released in May. That announcement described charges involving wire fraud and money laundering; the October announcement specified that all three had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The prosecution sits within a broader group of related cases involving Ghana-linked fraud conspiracies targeting older people. In May, prosecutors said those proceedings had been assigned to one federal district judge for coordination, and that nine defendants in related matters had already received prison terms totalling approximately 50 years.

The FBI’s Cleveland Division led the investigation, assisted by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Authorities also credited Ghanaian partners, including the Attorney General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, the Ghana Police Service and the Cyber Security Authority, reflecting the international scope of the inquiry.

As part of their pleas, the defendants agreed to forfeit jewellery seized when they were arrested, including luxury watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings. Prosecutors placed the case within the Justice Department’s Elder Justice Initiative, which coordinates enforcement against elder abuse, financial fraud and scams targeting older people.

Each defendant faces a maximum prison term of 20 years, although a federal judge will determine the individual sentences after considering sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2027, followed by Opoku-Boachie on February 10.