A Ghanaian national Derrick Yeboah has been sentenced to 85 months (more than seven years) in a United States federal prison after admitting his role in a large-scale international fraud network that targeted victims through online romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
Yeboah was jailed on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to a report published on US Department of Justice’s website.
His prison sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian following Van Yeboah’s guilty plea on March 5, 2026.
According to U.S. court documents and statements made public during the proceedings, Van Yeboah was a member of a criminal organisation primarily based in Ghana that systematically defrauded individuals and businesses across the United States of more than $100 million.
Investigators said the network relied on sophisticated online romance scams and business email compromise (BEC)attacks to deceive victims into transferring large sums of money.
Much of the stolen money was later laundered through financial channels connected to West Africa.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said romance scams go beyond financial crime because they exploit victims’ trust and emotions.
“Romance scammers do not simply steal money—they weaponize trust,” Clayton said, adding that the sentence reflects the seriousness of the offences and the government’s continued efforts to dismantle international cybercrime networks.
Federal prosecutors said many victims were elderly men and women who believed they had formed genuine online romantic relationships with people who, in reality, were using fake identities created by members of the criminal network.
After gaining the victims’ confidence over time, the scammers allegedly persuaded them to send money directly or convinced them to unknowingly help move funds obtained from other victims.
The organisation also carried out business email compromise scams, where companies were tricked into wiring payments to fraudulent bank accounts controlled by members of the network.
Derrick Van Yeboah’s Personal Involvement
Court records state that Van Yeboah personally communicated with several victims while pretending to be their romantic partner.
Between 2019 and 2020, prosecutors said he used false identities to deceive two women from Ohioand Delaware, persuading them to transfer approximately $4.2 million to accounts controlled by the fraud ring.
In another case during 2024, investigators said Van Yeboah allegedly convinced a man in North Carolina to send about $123,000 after falsely claiming he needed money to pay for a parent’s funeral and recover valuable gold and diamonds from Italy.
U.S. authorities ultimately held Van Yeboah responsible for stealing more than $10 million through romance fraud schemes.
In addition to the 85-month prison sentence, the 41-year-old Ghanaian national was ordered to serve two years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
The court also ordered him to forfeit $10,149,429.17, representing proceeds linked to the fraud offences.
The U.S. Department of Justice credited several Ghanaian institutions for assisting in Van Yeboah’s extradition to the United States on August 7, 2025.
Agencies recognised for their cooperation included; Ghana’s Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, Cyber Security Authority and National Intelligence Bureau (NIB)
The investigation was led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), while prosecutors from the Southern District of New York’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit handled the case.
