News"Kofi Boat" and "Pascal" plead guilty in US$100m romance scam case
Two Ghanaians described by US prosecutors as "chairmen" of a Ghana-based fraud network have pleaded guilty in New York and agreed to about US$41m in restitution. Neither has been sentenced.
and more, stolen and laundered from dozens of victims, prosecutors say
Isaac Oduro Boateng, 37, known as "Kofi Boat", pleaded guilty on Thursday 29 October 2026 before US District Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York. His co-defendant Inusah Ahmed, 41, known as "Pascal", pleaded guilty before the same judge on 27 October. Each admitted one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. No sentencing date has been announced.
What prosecutors say
According to the US Attorney's Office, the two were "chairmen" of a criminal organisation primarily based in Ghana that ran romance scams and business email compromises against people and businesses across the United States. Many of the victims were vulnerable older men and women who believed they were in online relationships with people who were in fact fake identities. In total, prosecutors say, the conspiracy stole and laundered more than US$100 million from dozens of victims, with the money laundered to West Africa.
"Isaac Oduro Boateng and Inusah Ahmed helped supervise an international criminal organization that preyed on vulnerable Americans, exploiting their search for companionship and turning their trust into a means of stealing millions," US Attorney Jamie McDonald said on 29 October.
What they agreed to pay
Boateng is held responsible for about US$12.5 million in victim loss and agreed to restitution and forfeiture of US$12,529,213.98 each. Ahmed is held responsible for about US$28.5 million and agreed to restitution and forfeiture of US$28,574,002 each. Together the restitution comes to about US$41.1 million.
The rest of the case
Both men were extradited from Ghana on 7 August 2025. A third co-defendant, Derrick Van Yeboah ("Van"), was earlier sentenced to 85 months in prison by Judge Subramanian. A fourth, Patrick Kwame Asare ("Borgar"), remains at large.
Claims online that the two have been "jailed 20 years" are wrong: 20 years is the maximum, and neither man has been sentenced.
For years the timeline clapped for the cars and called these boys seniors. On the other side of every car is an older person who thought somebody loved them. That is not hustle. Call it what they called it themselves in court. Guilty.
- US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York: Two "Chairmen" of Ghana romance scam conspiracy plead guilty (29 Oct 2026)
- US Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York: Ghanaian nationals extradited for roles in criminal organization that stole more than $100 million (8 Aug 2025)
- Citi Newsroom: Two Ghanaians plead guilty in US$100m romance scam (30 Oct 2026)
- Graphic Online: Kofi Boat and Pascal face 20 years after admitting roles in $100million cyber fraud (30 Oct 2026)
Every factual line in this story is checked against at least two independent sources, unless the text says it comes from one report.