Derrick Van Yeboah, a Ghanaian national who admitted participating in an international romance scam conspiracy, was sentenced on July 28, 2026, to 85 months in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian also sentenced Van Yeboah to two years of supervised release and ordered him to forfeit $10,149,429.17.
Federal prosecutors said Van Yeboah, 41, was personally responsible for stealing more than $10 million through romance scams. The criminal organization to which he belonged allegedly obtained and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of individuals and businesses through romance fraud and business email compromise schemes.
Van Yeboah pleaded guilty on March 5, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to charging documents, public filings, and statements made in court, Van Yeboah belonged to a criminal organization based primarily in Ghana. The group targeted individuals and businesses throughout the United States.
Members of the organization created false online identities and used them to convince victims that they were involved in genuine romantic relationships. Prosecutors said many of the people targeted were vulnerable older men and women.
After establishing trust, members of the conspiracy persuaded victims to transfer money to accounts controlled by the organization. Some victims were also induced to receive or transfer funds originating from other victims, effectively involving them in the laundering process.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said the schemes exploited personal trust, loneliness, and legitimate business relationships. He described romance scammers as people who “weaponize trust” to obtain victims’ money.
Federal prosecutors described several romance scams personally conducted by Van Yeboah.
In 2019 and 2020, he allegedly used false identities while communicating with a woman in Ohio and another woman in Delaware. The two victims transferred approximately $4.2 million to accounts belonging to members of the conspiracy.
Van Yeboah used another false identity in 2024 to establish an online relationship with a man in North Carolina, prosecutors said. He persuaded the victim to transfer approximately $123,000 by claiming that he needed money for a parent’s funeral and to recover gold and diamonds from Italy.
The Justice Department did not disclose the victims’ names in its announcement.
Although these examples account for part of the documented losses, prosecutors said Van Yeboah was responsible for more than $10 million stolen through his romance scams.
The organization also carried out business email compromise schemes, according to the Justice Department. In these operations, conspirators deceived businesses into wiring money to accounts connected to the criminal enterprise.
Federal authorities said the organization stole and laundered more than $100 million in total. The proceeds were subsequently transferred to West Africa.
The $100 million figure represents losses attributed to the broader organization, including romance scams and business email compromises. It is separate from the more than $10 million for which Van Yeboah was held personally responsible.
Ghanaian authorities extradited Van Yeboah to the United States on August 7, 2025.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the International Cooperation Unit of Ghana’s Office of the Attorney-General to secure the extradition. Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, Cyber Security Authority, and National Intelligence Bureau also assisted.
Van Yeboah pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud approximately seven months after his extradition. Judge Subramanian imposed the 85-month sentence on July 28, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the U.S. investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner of the Southern District of New York’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit prosecuted the case.