Ghanaian Twins Face 20-Year Jail Term Over $9m Romance Fraud
Ghanaian twin brothers who pleaded guilty to their roles in a romance fraud scheme that allegedly defrauded victims of more than $9 million will be sentenced by a federal court in Ohio, United States, on February 9, 2027.
Jamal Abubakari, 22, also known as Jamal Abubakar, and Kamal Abubakari, 22, also known as Kamal Abubakar and Lancaster, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on October 13, 2026.
Their alleged co-conspirator, Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, 53, of Hawaii, pleaded guilty to the same offence on October 20, 2026. She is scheduled to be sentenced on February 10, 2027.
According to court documents, the scheme operated from about July 2024 to April 2026, during which the defendants allegedly targeted older Americans through dating websites and social media platforms.
The defendants allegedly used fake identities to establish close personal relationships with their victims, often portraying the relationships as romantic, before using fabricated stories to persuade the victims to send money through wire transfers to accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy.
The victims included residents of 25 US states, as well as people in Germany and Austria, and collectively lost more than $9 million.
Court documents said portions of the proceeds were subsequently transferred to alleged co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere.
The three defendants each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Their sentences will, however, be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
As part of their plea agreements, the three agreed to forfeit jewellery and luxury items seized by investigators at the time of their arrests, including high-end watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings.
The investigation leading to the indictments was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division, with significant assistance from the US Department of Justice's Office of International Affairs.
US Attorney David M. Toepfer acknowledged the assistance of Ghanaian authorities, including the Attorney-General's Office, Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Ghana Police Service, Cyber Security Authority, Narcotics Control Commission, Financial Intelligence Centre, Ghana Immigration Service and National Intelligence Bureau.
Other US agencies that collaborated on the investigation included the Drug Enforcement Administration's Sensitive Investigation Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, US Customs and Border Protection, the US Department of State, FBI Washington Field Office, FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra and the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Read the original article on Ghanaian Times.