FULL TEXT: Extradited Ghanaian businessman pleads guilty in US romance fraud case

The United States has released an update on Ghanaian businessman Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, also known as Dada Joe Remix, following his extradition to the country in June 2025.

According to the US Attorney's Office in the District of Arizona, Boateng admitted that he and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance and inheritance fraud scheme from 2013 through March 2023, targeting the elderly from Arizona and around the United States.

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His sentencing has been scheduled for September 8, 2026, before United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez.

Read the full statement below:

Last week, Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, also known as “Dada Joe Remix,” a citizen of Ghana, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, a felony. Boateng was arrested in Ghana on an extradition warrant on May 27, 2025. In June 2025, Boateng was extradited to the United States, and he has remained in custody since his arrest.

In his plea agreement, Boateng admitted that he and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance and inheritance fraud scheme from 2013 through March 2023, targeting the elderly from Arizona and around the United States. The co-conspirators pretended to be romantically involved with the victims through online dating sites, text, or other electronic communications. The co-conspirators also falsely represented that they had received an “inheritance” of gold and jewels and that to release such items to the victims, taxes and other fees would be required.

In addition to pleading guilty, Boateng agreed to pay restitution totaling approximately $4.4 million dollars, which was the direct loss caused by his involvement in the scheme. Boateng’s sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2026, before United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez.

Ghanaian businessman pleads guilty in US court to romance fraud charge

The FBI Phoenix Division’s Sierra Vista office conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution. The following partners provided essential support for the extradition: FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana; the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice; the Republic of Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, Ghana Police Services – INTERPOL, and the Department of Justice, Office of International Affairs.

MAG

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