Three Ghanaian nationals have been extradited to the United States to face charges in connection with an international cybercrime ring accused of defrauding victims of over $100 million through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
Isaac Oduro Boateng (alias “Kofi Boat”), Inusah Ahmed (alias “Pascal”), and Derrick Van Yeboah (alias “Van”) were flown to the U.S. on August 7, 2025, and are expected to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger. A fourth suspect, Patrick Kwame Asare (alias “Borgar”), remains at large.
The indictment, unsealed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, accuses the four men of being high-ranking members of a Ghana-based criminal network that targeted individuals and businesses across the U.S. Victims, many of them elderly, were tricked into fake online relationships or manipulated through compromised business emails to send large sums of money.
Prosecutors say once funds were obtained, they were laundered to West Africa, often directed to figures known as “chairmen,” who coordinated the group’s operations. Boateng and Ahmed were among those believed to have held this leadership role.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton condemned the fraud as “a massive conspiracy to defraud vulnerable people and steal from businesses,” pledging to work globally with law enforcement partners to combat cybercrime.
FBI Assistant Director Christopher Raia added that such schemes, especially those targeting the elderly and exploiting their trust, will not go unpunished.
The accused each face five federal charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and receipt of stolen money—offenses that carry sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
The successful extradition was made possible through cooperation between U.S. and Ghanaian authorities, including the Office of the Attorney-General of Ghana, the Economic and Organized Crime Office, INTERPOL, the Ghana Police Service, and others.
The case is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner leading the prosecution.
