The FBI has extradited three Ghanaian nationals, Kofi Boat (known as Shatta Wale’s godfather), Inusah Ahmed a.k.a. Pascal, and Derrick Van Yeboah a.k.a. Van, to the United States over their alleged roles in a $100 million romance scam and business email compromise scheme. A fourth suspect, Patrick Kwame Asare a.k.a. Borgar, remains at large.
According to U.S. prosecutors, the group operated a sophisticated Ghana-based criminal network that targeted elderly Americans with fake online relationships and defrauded businesses through hacked email accounts. Once funds were obtained, the proceeds were laundered back to West Africa, where key “chairmen” — including Boateng and Ahmed — oversaw operations.
The defendants, aged between 36 and 40, face multiple charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and receipt of stolen money, each carrying up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton condemned the scam, vowing that “offshore scammers should know the FBI and our partners will work around the world to bring perpetrators to justice.”
Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, INTERPOL, Cyber Security Authority, and National Intelligence Bureau were credited for their role in the extradition, with the suspects arriving in New York on August 7 to face trial.
