New York, March 6, 2026 — A 40-year-old Ghanaian national has pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan to his involvement in a sophisticated international criminal enterprise that defrauded victims across the United States of more than $100 million through romance scams and business email compromise schemes.
Derrick Van Yeboah, also known as “Van,” entered his plea on Thursday, March 5, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York. He admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and court documents, Van Yeboah was a key member of a Ghana-based criminal organization — often associated with terms like “sakawa boys” or “game boys” in local parlance — that operated from at least 2016 through May 2023.
The group primarily targeted vulnerable older Americans, especially elderly men and women seeking companionship on dating websites and online platforms. Scammers created fake romantic personas to build trust over time, then manipulated victims into sending money directly to the enterprise or assisting in laundering proceeds from other frauds. In parallel, the organization carried out business email compromise (BEC) attacks, deceiving companies into wiring large sums to fraudulent accounts controlled by the group.
Prosecutors stated that the conspiracy stole and laundered over $100 million from dozens of victims nationwide, with funds funneled back to West Africa. Van Yeboah personally conducted numerous romance scams and is held accountable for more than $10 million in losses directly tied to his actions.
As part of his plea agreement, Van Yeboah agreed to pay $10,149,429.17 in both restitution to victims and forfeiture.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton highlighted the exploitative nature of the crimes in a statement: “Derrick Van Yeboah pled guilty today to a massive criminal scheme targeting elderly men and women in 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.”
Clayton added a warning to the public: “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.”
Van Yeboah was extradited from Ghana to the United States in August 2025 alongside two other members of the group — Isaac Oduro Boateng (a/k/a “Kofi Boat”) and Inusah Ahmed (a/k/a “Pascal”) — following the unsealing of an indictment charging four individuals. A fourth suspect, Patrick Kwame Asare (a/k/a “Borgar”), remains at large.
The case is being prosecuted by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the Southern District of New York, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner leading the effort. Authorities credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and international cooperation with Ghana and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for the successful extradition and prosecution.
Van Yeboah is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Subramanian on June 3, 2026. The maximum penalties are set by Congress and serve only as guidelines; the final sentence will be determined by the court based on federal sentencing factors.