Ghanaian national Derrick Van Yeboah has admitted guilt in connection with an international criminal network that defrauded victims of over $100 million through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the plea, highlighting the cruelty of Van Yeboah’s actions. “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. After stealing the money, the fraud proceeds were then laundered to West Africa,” Clayton said. He cautioned the public about online scams, urging, “Never give money to someone you just met—and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Court documents reveal that Van Yeboah was part of a Ghana-based criminal organization that carried out targeted scams across the United States. The group primarily targeted vulnerable older men and women, tricking them into believing they were engaged in online romantic relationships with individuals who did not exist. Once trust was gained, victims were deceived into sending money or helping launder funds obtained from other victims.
Van Yeboah personally executed many of the scams by impersonating fictitious romantic partners, and he is directly responsible for over $10 million in stolen funds.
The 40-year-old has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He has agreed to restitution and forfeiture totaling $10,149,429.17.
He is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Subramanian on June 3, 2026. Attorney Clayton praised the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its work and thanked Ghana and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance in bringing Van Yeboah to justice.
