Derrick Van Yeboah (M) was extradited from Ghana in 2025
The United States of America Embassy in Ghana has officially released photos of convicted Ghanaian national, Derrick Van Yeboah, who pleaded guilty to his role in a $100 million romance scam that targeted US nationals.
The images, released on the embassy’s X page on Friday, March 13, 2026, show the moment Yeboah was being extradited to the United States in 2025, accompanied by two FBI officials.
Ghanaian national pleads guilty to $100 million romance scam
The photos also show Yeboah wearing an orange shirt, paired with blue jeans and black sneakers, while in chains and handcuffs.
This follows seven months of facing trial in the US, where Yeboah has 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 US Department of Justice, sighted by GhanaWeb on March 6, 2026, noted that Derrick Van Yeboah pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before US District Judge Arun Subramanian.
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.
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.
Details of $100m fraud that led to the extradition of Kofi Boat and two others
The statement further added that Van Yeboah is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Subramanian on June 3, 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.
Ghanaian national Derrick “Van” Yeboah pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to stealing more than $10 million from U.S. victims through romance scams and business email compromise schemes. Extradited to the United States in August 2025, he was part of a Ghana-based criminal… pic.twitter.com/BncMIsJ3Ij
— U.S. Embassy Ghana (@USEmbassyGhana) March 13, 2026
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