Kofi Boat Pleads Guilty in US Over $100m Romance Scam as 20-Year Jail Term Looms

Fresh details have emerged in the case of Ghanaian businessman Isaac Oduro Boateng, popularly known as Kofi Boat, following his extradition to the United States over his alleged involvement in an international romance scam involving more than US$100 million.

Kofi Boat was extradited to the United States on August 7, 2025, following investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US Department of Justice into his alleged role in the criminal scheme, which reportedly defrauded victims of millions of dollars.

Approximately one year and two months after his extradition, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has disclosed that the Ghanaian businessman has pleaded guilty to charges arising from his alleged involvement in the international fraud network.

According to a court document sighted by GhanaWeb’s Joseph Henry Mensah, Kofi Boat entered his guilty plea on October 29, 2026, admitting his role in the criminal organisation.

The document also revealed that another Ghanaian national, Inusah Ahmed, popularly known as Pascal, who was implicated in the same fraud scheme, pleaded guilty on October 27, 2026.

Both men admitted to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before US District Judge Arun Subramanian.

The court document indicated that Kofi Boat was held responsible for approximately US$12.5 million in losses, while Ahmed was linked to about US$28.5 million in fraudulent proceeds.

As part of their guilty pleas, both defendants agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture amounts corresponding to the sums attributed to them.

Kofi Boat agreed to pay US$12,529,213.98 in restitution and an equivalent amount in forfeiture. Ahmed, meanwhile, agreed to pay US$28,574,002 in restitution, as well as the same amount in forfeiture.

According to US Attorney Jamie McDonald, both defendants, aged 37 and 41 respectively, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offence punishable by a maximum prison sentence of 20 years.

Meanwhile, another Ghanaian implicated in the international fraud operation, Derrick Van Yeboah, popularly known as Van, has already been sentenced to 85 months in prison.

However, Patrick Kwame Asare, also known as Borga, who is identified as another co-defendant in the case, remains at large.

In June 2025, the FBI announced its investigation into Kofi Boat’s business operations and his alleged involvement in an international criminal network accused of romance scams, money laundering and other financial crimes.

According to the FBI, the alleged fraudulent activities targeted victims across the United States, including individuals within the Southern District of New York, between 2016 and May 2023.

Investigators identified Kofi Boat, Pascal, Van, Borga and other alleged collaborators as members of the criminal network accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud, launder money and receive stolen funds.

The FBI’s investigative documents also contained communications allegedly exchanged among members of the group, detailing how proceeds from the fraudulent activities were distributed among the suspects.

Source: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/100-Million-Romance-Scam-Kofi-Boat-Inusah-Ahmed-plead-guilty-to-charges-2059054

MrJacobs feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com