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A Ghanaian national pleaded responsible to his role in a huge fraud ring that stole over $100 million from victims right during the US through industry electronic mail compromise assaults and romance scams.

40-365 days-mature Derrick Van Yeboah pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit wire fraud on Thursday and agreed to pay more than $10 million in restitution.

Van Yeboah became as soon as a excessive-ranking member of a monumental-scale fraud operation primarily based in Ghana that centered American citizens between 2016 and Could per chance well furthermore merely 2023. He became as soon as extradited to the U.S. in August 2025, with accomplices Isaac Oduro Boateng (furthermore known as “Kofi Boat”), Inusah Ahmed (“Pascal”), and Patrick Kwame Asare (“Borgar”).

In step with court docket paperwork, the scammers (who known as themselves “game boys” or “sakawa boys”) deceived vulnerable older females and males right during the U.S. who lived alone into believing they have confidence been in romantic relationships online and tricked them into depositing cash into the monetary institution accounts of U.S. middlemen after gaining their belief.

The U.S. accomplices would then launder the cash, take their prick of the stolen funds, and ship the relaxation to contributors of the criminal ring in West Africa, acknowledged as “chairmen,” who coordinated the incorrect actions.

The criminals furthermore tricked rather hundreds of agencies into wiring funds following industry electronic mail compromise assaults that old spoofed electronic mail addresses impersonating the targets’ customers or workers.

Prosecutors acknowledged that Van Yeboah in my idea achieved most of the romance scams detailed in the indictment and linked him to more than $10 million in losses.

“Many New Yorkers search for companionship online, and no one deserves to have their vulnerability met with fraud and theft. Van Yeboah cruelly exploited those vulnerabilities for over $10 million in illicit profit,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton acknowledged.

“Today’s plea is a reminder to be vigilant online—especially on dating websites, never give money to someone you just met—and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Van Yeboah is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Specialize in Arun Subramanian on June 3 and is facing as a lot as two decades in penitentiary.