NEW YORK, United States — A Ghanaian national has pleaded guilty in a U.S. federal court to participating in a large-scale international fraud scheme that stole more than $100 million from victims through online romance scams and business email compromises.
Derrick Van Yeboah, also known as “Van,” admitted in court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York.
The plea was announced by Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Federal prosecutors say the 40-year-old was part of a Ghana-based criminal network that targeted individuals and businesses across the United States through sophisticated online scams.
Many of the victims were elderly men and women who believed they were in genuine romantic relationships with individuals they met online, only to discover the identities were fabricated by members of the fraud ring.
“Derrick Van Yeboah pled guilty today to a massive criminal scheme targeting elderly men and women in online romance scams,” Clayton said in a statement.
“Many New Yorkers search for companionship online, and no one deserves to have their vulnerability met with fraud and theft.”
According to prosecutors, members of the criminal network created fake online identities and cultivated romantic relationships with victims over time.
After gaining their trust, the scammers persuaded victims to send large sums of money or help transfer funds obtained from other victims, effectively turning them into unwitting money launderers.
Authorities said the network also used business email compromise schemes, a cybercrime tactic where attackers impersonate legitimate company executives or partners to trick businesses into transferring money to fraudulent accounts.
Investigators estimate that the wider conspiracy stole and laundered more than $100 million from dozens of victims across the United States. The illicit proceeds were eventually transferred to West Africa.
Prosecutors said Van Yeboah personally conducted several of the romance scams, posing as a romantic partner in online communications with victims. He has been held responsible for stealing more than $10 million directly from those victims.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from authorities in Ghana and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
Van Yeboah pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a charge that carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison under U.S. law. However, the final sentence will be determined by the judge at a later date.
As part of the plea agreement, the defendant also agreed to pay restitution and forfeiture totaling $10,149,429.17 — representing the proceeds prosecutors say he personally obtained through the scams.
Sentencing has been scheduled for June 3, 2026.
The prosecution is being handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner.
