A Ghanaian national extradited to the United States pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with an online romance and inheritance scam targeting elderly victims.
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng was arrested in Ghana on an extradition warrant on 27 May 2025. He was extradited to the United States in June 2025 and has remained in custody since.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Phoenix Division’s Sierra Vista office led the investigation.
Assistance was provided by the FBI legal attaché in Accra, Ghana’s Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office, Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, and the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
In his plea agreement, Boateng admitted that he and co-conspirators operated a romance and inheritance fraud scheme between 2013 and March 2023, targeting elderly individuals in Arizona and across the United States.
Co-conspirators posed as romantic partners through online dating platforms, text messages and other electronic communications.
They also falsely claimed to have received an “inheritance” of gold and jewels.
In a statement, the Department said the scammers told victims that taxes and fees were required to release the assets.
The statement said: “In addition to pleading guilty, Boateng agreed to pay restitution totalling approximately $4.4 million, which was the direct loss caused by his involvement in the scheme. Boateng’s sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2026, before US District Judge Angela M Martinez.”
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