Ghanaian twins plead guilty to $9m US romance fraud scheme

Ghanaian twin brothers Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari have admitted conspiring to commit wire fraud in a worldwide romance scam that caused victims to lose more than $9m.

The 22-year-olds, who operated under the aliases Arrangement and Lancaster respectively, entered guilty pleas in the United States on 13 October 2026.

Their alleged co-conspirator, 53-year-old American woman Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, also known as Amanda Joy Glum and Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, pleaded guilty to the same charge on 20 October 2026.

The US Department of Justice said the three defendants were members of an international criminal network that targeted older Americans through dating websites and social media between July 2024 and April 2026.

According to court documents, members of the group created false identities and developed close personal relationships with their targets, frequently presenting those relationships as romantic. They then used invented stories to persuade victims to send money to bank and other financial accounts controlled by the network.

Some of the money was later transferred to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere.

Victims were located in 25 US states, as well as Germany and Austria. In northern Ohio, those targeted included residents of Edgerton in Williams County. The total losses recorded in the case were more than $9m.

Under their plea agreements, the three defendants have also agreed to surrender jewellery taken during their arrests. The items include luxury watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings.

The investigation was led by the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It received support from the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and a number of law enforcement bodies in both the United States and Ghana.

Ghanaian agencies involved included the Attorney-General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Narcotics Control Commission, the Financial Intelligence Centre, the Ghana Immigration Service and the National Intelligence Bureau.

Each defendant could receive a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. Sentences will be imposed by a federal district court judge after consideration of the US Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant legal factors.

Jamal and Kamal Abubakari are due to be sentenced on 9 February 2027. Opoku-Boachie is scheduled to appear for sentencing on 10 February 2027.

The prosecution is part of the US Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative, which coordinates action against financial fraud, abuse and scams directed at older people.