As the U.S. government steps up efforts to protect vulnerable citizens—especially the elderly—from transnational scams, several Ghanaian nationals have found themselves entangled in high-profile criminal prosecutions involving romance and wire fraud.
Marking World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, U.S. authorities, led by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, have unsealed multiple indictments involving elaborate schemes that defrauded elderly victims of millions of dollars.
Below is a list of Ghanaians and Ghana-linked individuals complicit in ongoing U.S. fraud prosecutions, highlighting the extent to which some so-called “big men and women” are now facing justice beyond Ghana’s borders:
1. Otuo Amponsah
A central figure in a massive wire fraud and money laundering ring that operated between December 2017 and March 2024, Otuo Amponsah has been charged in the Northern District of Ohio. Authorities say he and his group manipulated elderly victims with false pretenses, particularly through romance scams. The ill-gotten funds were funneled back to co-conspirators in Ghana.
2. Anna Amponsah
Charged alongside Otuo Amponsah, Anna is believed to have played a critical role in facilitating the transfer and laundering of stolen funds. Her exact role in the romance fraud scheme is under further investigation.
3. Hannah Adom
Named in the same indictment, Hannah Adom is facing accusations of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Investigators suggest she helped sustain the fraudulent operations by aiding in the movement of funds across borders.
4. Portia Joe
Also charged in the Ohio case, Portia allegedly participated in the distribution of proceeds obtained through deceitful online engagements with U.S. elderly citizens.
5. Abdoul Issaka Assimiou
A key suspect in the fraud network, Abdoul is implicated in laundering money siphoned through fabricated romantic relationships with U.S. victims.
6. Dwayne Asafo Adjei
Another defendant in the Northern District of Ohio indictment, Dwayne faces similar charges and is alleged to have actively engaged in coordinating financial flows from the U.S. to Ghana.
7. Clinton Ogedegbe
Though not Ghanaian, Clinton Ogedegbe’s case out of the Western District of North Carolina intersects with the wider fraud ecosystem linked to West Africa. He was indicted in April 2025 for laundering proceeds from romance scams and faces multiple counts, including concealment money laundering.
8. Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng aka Dada Joe Remix
Arguably the most prominent name on the list, Dada Joe Remix, a Ghanaian citizen and alleged fraud mastermind, has been charged in Arizona with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. U.S. officials say he ran a decade-long romance and inheritance scam, peddling stories of gold and jewel inheritances to extort money from victims under the guise of paying fictitious taxes and fees. He was arrested in Ghana on May 28, 2025, pending extradition to the U.S.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated that these prosecutions are part of a broader initiative by the U.S. Justice Department and FBI to combat transnational fraud that robs older Americans of their savings and dignity. “Most of these crimes are rooted in manipulation and deceit, often targeting the most trusting among us—our elderly,” she said.
With these names now facing trial in the U.S., this wave of indictments serves as a sobering reminder that international crime has no borders—and neither does justice.
