Two Ghanaian brothers and a United States-based woman have been indicted in Ohio over their alleged involvement in an international romance fraud and money laundering scheme that prosecutors say targeted elderly Americans through dating websites and social media platforms.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced that the indictment had been unsealed in the case of United States v. Jamal Abubakari et al., charging 22-year-old twins Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, both Ghanaian nationals, together with 53-year-old Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie.
According to US prosecutors, the three suspects were arrested in Virginia and remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
The indictment alleges that between July 2024 and April 2026, the accused participated in a criminal network that used fake identities and fabricated romantic relationships to deceive victims, most of whom were elderly Americans, into transferring money to accounts controlled by members of the syndicate.
Investigators said the suspects and their alleged accomplices manipulated victims emotionally through online interactions before requesting money under false pretences. Prosecutors claim portions of the funds obtained through the scheme were subsequently transferred to co-conspirators in Ghana and other countries.
The case is one of several related investigations being coordinated before a single US District Judge due to what authorities describe as recurring criminal patterns linked to romance fraud operations targeting older Americans.
US authorities disclosed that nine defendants connected to related Ghana-linked romance fraud conspiracies have already pleaded guilty and collectively received prison sentences totalling about 50 years.
Among previously convicted individuals named by prosecutors were Ghanaian nationals Dwayne Asafo Adjei, Otuo Amponsah and Kelvin Asmah, as well as several US-based accomplices accused of participating in wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Division is leading the investigation, with support from several Ghanaian institutions, including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Narcotics Control Commission and the Ghana Immigration Service.
The US Department of Justice also acknowledged assistance from Ghana’s Attorney-General’s Office and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra.
The latest indictment forms part of the United States’ Elder Justice Initiative, a programme established under the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 to combat financial exploitation, scams and fraud targeting elderly persons.
US prosecutors stressed that the indictment remains an allegation and that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
If convicted, the accused persons could face penalties determined by the court based on factors including the scale of the offences, their individual roles and any prior criminal records.
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