A federal grand jury has returned a 2-count indictment charging a Ghanaian national with defrauding elderly victims out of over $8 million.
According to a recently unsealed indictment, Frederick Kumi, aka Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, aka Abu Trica, 31, of Swedru, Ghana, was part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023. Kumi was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025.
According to the indictment, perpetrators of this romance scam used artificial intelligence software to assume false identities and form close personal relationships with victims. They gained victims’ trust to obtain money and valuables, often targeting individuals through social media and online dating platforms under false pretences.
Victims were often elderly and engaged in romantic but physically distant relationships with perpetrators. The perpetrators built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms. They then requested money or valuables under false pretences, such as urgent medical needs, travel expenses, or investment opportunities. Relying on these misrepresentations, victims were persuaded to send funds or valuables, which were then directed to co-conspirators posing as third parties.
The indictment also alleges that after the victims transferred funds, Kumi worked with a network of co-conspirators to distribute the money from Ohio and across the United States to associates in the Republic of Ghana and other locations.
Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification and faces up to 20 years in prison.
If convicted, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court after a review of factors unique to this case, including a defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, his role in the offence, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough for the Northern District of Ohio.