Five Ghanaians, Kofi Boat, Pascal, Arrangement, and two others, are awaiting sentencing in the US after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in separate romance fraud cases earlier this year. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Kofi Boat, Pascal, and the twins, Arrangement and Lancaster, have agreed to pay or forfeit millions of dollars in restitution and seized assets. Their sentencing will be decided by judges in federal courts in New York, Ohio, and Arizona.
Kofi Boat, 37, pleaded guilty on October 29, 2026, in the Southern District of New York. US prosecutors described him as one of the "chairmen" of a network that stole and laundered over $100 million. He is held responsible for about $12.5 million in victim losses. Kofi Boat agreed to pay $12,529,213.98 in restitution and the same amount in forfeiture. Judge Arun Subramanian will decide his sentence, but no sentencing date has been announced.
Pascal, 41, pleaded guilty on October 27, 2026, and is also described as a "chairman" of the same network. He is held responsible for about $28.5 million in losses. Pascal agreed to pay $28,574,002 in restitution and the same amount in forfeiture. Like Kofi Boat, he faces up to 20 years in prison, with no sentencing date set yet. Their cases are part of a larger network that targeted victims across the US.
Twin brothers Jamal and Kamal Abubakari, known as Arrangement and Lancaster, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2026, in the US Northern District of Ohio. Prosecutors said their scheme caused losses of over $9 million. Both 22-year-olds agreed to forfeit luxury watches, rings, chains, medallions, and earrings seized at their arrest. Each faces up to 20 years in prison and is due to be sentenced on February 9, 2027.
Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, known as Dada Joe Remix, pleaded guilty in Tucson, Arizona, in June 2026. He was extradited from Ghana in June 2025 after his arrest on May 27, 2025. His involvement in the scheme caused direct losses of about $4.4 million, which he agreed to pay as restitution. Victims of the scheme included elderly people in Arizona and across the US.
Kofi Boat's co-accused, Derrick Van Yeboah, known as Van, was sentenced to 85 months in prison on July 27, 2026, and directed to forfeit $10,149,429.17. In related Ohio cases, nine defendants who pleaded guilty were sentenced to about 50 years in total. Otuo Amponsah and Anna Amponsah each received 108 months, while four others got 71 months each. Their restitution orders together came to about $9.4 million.
Another suspect, Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi, faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in the Northern District of Ohio. Unlike the others, he has pleaded not guilty. His case has been declared complex by Judge John R. Adams. Abu Trica remains in custody ahead of a status conference on November 3, 2026.
Key points
- Kofi Boat and Pascal agreed to pay over $41 million in restitution.
- The five Ghanaians face up to 20 years in prison for their roles in the romance fraud cases.
- The US Department of Justice has reported that the schemes caused losses of over $100 million.
