By Prince Ahenkorah
Three Ghana-linked defendants have pleaded guilty to participating in a US$9 million romance fraud conspiracy that targeted elderly Americans across 26 US states, as well as victims in Germany and Austria, the US Department of Justice has announced.
The defendants include Ghanaian twin brothers Jamal Abubakari, 22, also known as Jamal Abubakar and “Arrangement,” and Kamal Abubakari, 22, also known as Kamal Abubakar and “Lancaster.” Their co-conspirator, Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, a Ghanaian-American woman based in Kula, Hawaii, also admitted her role in the scheme.
According to the US Department of Justice, the victims included residents of Edgerton in Williams County, Ohio, and people in 24 other US states. The operation also extended beyond the United States, with victims in Germany and Austria.
The scale of the alleged fraud highlights the international reach of the network, which exploited online relationships to extract millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims, many of them older people.
Court documents indicate that the conspiracy operated from approximately July 2024 to April 2026. During that period, the defendants and their associates allegedly used dating websites and social media platforms to identify and target victims.
The conspirators reportedly created fake identities and cultivated close personal relationships with their targets, often making the relationships appear romantic. After gaining their confidence, they allegedly invented stories that persuaded victims to transfer money to financial accounts controlled by members of the network.
Investigators said portions of the proceeds were subsequently channelled to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere, underscoring the cross-border nature of the operation.
The Abubakari brothers pleaded guilty on October 13, 2026, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Opoku-Boachie, who also used the names Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, entered her guilty plea on October 20, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
As part of their plea agreements, the three defendants agreed to forfeit jewellery and other valuables seized by investigators during their arrests. The items include luxury watches and timepieces, rings, chains, medallions and earrings.
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Division, with significant assistance from the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
US Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, David M. Toepfer, acknowledged the contributions of national and international law enforcement agencies to the investigation.
Ghanaian agencies that assisted included the Attorney-General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Ghana Immigration Service and the National Intelligence Bureau.
Their American counterparts included the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigation Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, US Customs and Border Protection, the US Department of State, the FBI Washington Field Office, the FBI 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 leading the prosecution.
Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A federal district court judge will determine the sentences after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other applicable statutory factors.
The Abubakari brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2027, while Opoku-Boachie is due to appear for sentencing on February 10, 2027.
The case forms part of the US Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, which coordinates efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud targeting older Americans. The initiative is linked to the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017, which supports enforcement efforts to protect elderly people from financial crimes and other forms of exploitation.