Ghanaian twin brothers and a Ghanaian woman based in the United States have pleaded guilty to their roles in an international fraud network that allegedly swindled approximately $9 million from American victims through romance scam.
According to a document released by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, the two Ghanaians, identified as Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, aka Arrangement, 22, and Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, aka Lancaster, 22, pleaded guilty on October 13, 2026.
The document also indicated that Lancaster and Arrangement’s co-conspirator, Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, also known as Amanda Joy Kessie Bierman, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2026.
The document read, “All three defendants recently pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, aka Arrangement, 22, and Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, aka Lancaster, 22, pleaded guilty Oct. 13. Co-conspirator Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, aka Amanda Joy Glum, aka Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty Oct. 20, 2026”.
The case centres on a romance scam that targeted older Americans, with the defendants accused of participating in a criminal operation that obtained about $9 million through fraudulent schemes.
As part of their plea agreements, the three defendants have also agreed to surrender jewellery seized by investigators during their arrests. The items reportedly include valuable watches and other luxury accessories.
The document outlined the items subject to forfeiture, stating: “As part of the plea, the Abubakaris and Opoku-Boachie agreed to forfeit jewelry which investigators seized at the time of their arrests, including luxury timepieces, as well as high-end watches, rings, chains, medallions, and earrings.”
“The defendants each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Sentencing for the Abubakari brothers is scheduled for Feb. 9, 2027. Opoku-Boachie is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 10, 2027,” it added.
Background
Some months ago, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, in a detailed report, wrote, “Two brothers from Ghana and a woman from the U.S. have been indicted for allegedly being a part of a criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from victims by mostly targeting the elderly in the United States.
An indictment was recently unsealed in United States v. Jamal Abubakari, et al., charging the following three individuals with Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Money Laundering:
Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, aka Arrangement, 22;
Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, aka Lancaster, 22; and
Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, aka Amanda Joy Glum, aka Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, 53.
All three defendants were arrested in Virginia and remain in custody pending further court proceedings.
According to allegations in the indictment, from about July 2024 to April 2026, the defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms to engage in romance fraud schemes. The defendants conspired with others to use fake personas to establish close personal relationships with the victims, which were often romantic in nature.
After being misled by false stories, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members. Portions of the funds were further provided to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere.
A series of cases related to this matter, which have also charged conspiracies tied to Ghana for targeting elderly victims, have been assigned to one U.S. District Judge to coordinate proceedings. While many defendants in those matters are pending trial or sentencing, nine defendants have already pleaded guilty and been collectively sentenced to approximately 50 years of imprisonment”.
See the post below:
The twin brothers, who are currently in custody, have been scheduled to be sentenced on 9th February 2027 and now face a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison. As part of their plea, the twins have agreed to forfeit jewellery that investigators confiscated during their arrests, including luxury watches, rings, chains, medallions and earrings. 📸: https://t.co/sraMwSnXBz
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) October 26, 2026
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