Twin brothers from Ghana and an American woman have pleaded guilty to being part of an international criminal network that ran romance fraud schemes against mostly older Americans, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio said in Cleveland.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice

Jamal Abubakari, also known as Jamal Abubakar and 'Arrangement', 22, and Kamal Abubakari, also known as Kamal Abubakar and 'Lancaster', 22, pleaded guilty on October 13 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty to the same charge on October 20, 2026, prosecutors said.

According to allegations in court documents, from about July 2024 to April 2026 the defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media, used fake personas to build close, often romantic relationships, and then used false stories to persuade victims to wire money to accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy. Portions of the money were sent on to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere, and victims collectively lost more than $9 million.

Victims in northern Ohio lived in Edgarton in Williams County. Other victims lived in 24 other states and in Germany and Austria, the Justice Department said. As part of the pleas, the three agreed to forfeit jewelry seized at their arrests, including luxury timepieces, high-end watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings.

The investigation was led by the FBI's Cleveland Division, with significant assistance from the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs and partners in Ghana and the United States, prosecutors said. The case is part of the Justice Department's Elder Justice Initiative.

Each defendant faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, with the final sentence to be decided by a federal district judge under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Sentencing for the Abubakari brothers is scheduled for February 9, 2027, and for Opoku-Boachie on February 10, 2027, according to the Justice Department. Independent reporting by Graphic Online and Metro TV Online in Ghana confirmed the same pleas, dates and $9 million loss figure.

Source: Graphic Online