Ghanaian national pleads guilty to $100 million romance scam

After seven months of facing trial in the United States for his role in a $100 million romance scam, Ghanaian national Derrick Van Yeboah, popularly known as Van, has pleaded guilty.

Yeboah, who was extradited to the United States, admitted to his role in the scheme after months of court proceedings.

It may be recalled that Derrick Van Yeboah, together with two other Ghanaians, Isaac Oduro Boateng, popularly known as Kofi Boat, and Insuah Ahmed, also known as Pascal, were extradited to the US for allegedly running a notorious scam syndicate known as “The Enterprise.”

In a recent development, a statement published on the official website of the U.S. Department of Justice, sighted by GhanaWeb on March 6, 2026, noted that Derrick Van Yeboah pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian.

Details of $100m fraud that led to the extradition of Kofi Boat and two others

The statement was also issued by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, who announced that Derrick Van Yeboah was involved in a criminal organisation that stole more than $100 million from victims through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.

He further noted that Van, 40, personally perpetrated many of the romance scams by impersonating fake romantic partners in communications with victims, most of whom were elderly women and men.

“Derrick Van Yeboah pled guilty today to a massive criminal scheme targeting elderly men and women through online romance scams.

“Many New Yorkers search for companionship online, and no one deserves to have their vulnerability met with fraud and theft. Van Yeboah cruelly exploited those vulnerabilities for over $10 million in illicit profit. Today’s plea is a reminder to be vigilant online, especially on dating websites. Never give money to someone you just met, and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Jay Clayton said.

Kofi Boat risks spending 20 years in prison if found guilty - FBI document reveals

The statement additionally noted that Derrick Van Yeboah’s guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

It also stated that Van agreed to make restitution and pay forfeiture, both in the amount of $10,149,429.17.

The statement further added that Van Yeboah is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Subramanian on 3 June 2026.

Meanwhile, the maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress, and the presiding judge, Subramanian, will determine how many years Van will spend in prison.

Read the full post below:

Derrick Van Yeboah, a Ghanaian national, pleaded guilty to stealing more than $10 million from victims through romance scams. He was a member of a criminal organization based in Ghana that preyed on vulnerable older men and women and stole, in total, more than $100 million from… pic.twitter.com/2Gw3h6nF3R

— FBI Cyber Division (@FBICyberDiv) March 6, 2026

JHM/BAI

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