US Court Convicts Three Ghanaians and 22 Others in $215m International Scam
- The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has secured the conviction of 25 individuals, including three Ghanaians
- The group is said to have defrauded victims of nearly $215 million through a “business email compromise” operation that targeted more than 1,000
- US authorities stated that the criminals infiltrated email accounts to monitor communications before sending fraudulent payment requests
The US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio has reportedly convicted 25 individuals, including three Ghanaians, in connection with a large-scale international scam and money laundering operation.
According to a report sighted on GhanaWeb, the individuals defrauded victims of nearly $215 million across the United States.
Source: UGC
The convicted Ghanaians are Emily Agyemang, 35, of Joliet, Illinois; Emmanuel Essilfie, 28, a Ghanaian national residing in Naperville, Illinois; and Kingsley Owusu, 37, a naturalised US citizen residing in Chicago.
The other convicted individuals are Ayobami Osas Christopher, also known as “Lovely Man”, 30, a naturalised US citizen residing in Lawrenceville, Georgia; Emmanuel Okereke, also known as “Omo Igbo”, 42, a Nigerian national residing in Atlanta; Olalekan Bashiru, also known as “Ola Bash”, 36, a Nigerian national residing in Chicago; Mark Dabney, 26, of Chicago; and Casey Adesula Jr, 28, of Houston.
Others include Jeremiah Agina, 29, a Nigerian national residing in Houston; Ayorinde Emmanuel Adebayo, 35, a naturalised US citizen residing in Olympia Fields, Illinois; Ademola Balogun, 43, a Nigerian national residing in Chicago; Olabode Bankole, 37, a naturalised US citizen residing in Loganville, Georgia; India Barnes, 37, of Atlanta; Chukwuemeka Evulukwu, 35, a naturalised US citizen residing in Atlanta; Jeremiah Glinsey, 32, of Chicago; and Lon Goodman, 69, of Whiting, Indiana.
The rest are Shaquille I. Jackson, 33, of Chicago; Katiena Lackey, 25, of Houston; Mikhail Keize, 31, of Loganville, Georgia; Anton Parker, 37, of Chicago; Carlton Pruitt of Bellwood, Illinois; and Ronnel Spencer, 36, of Chicago.
US clamps down on international fraud
According to the US court, the convictions form part of a wider crackdown on a sophisticated fraud network commonly known as a “business email compromise” scheme.
The court said the scheme involved fake business emails that deceived victims into sending money. In all, over 1,000 people were scammed, with losses totalling about $215 million.
Following this, a jury in Toledo on April 24, 2026, found Oluwafemi Michael Awoyemi, 40; Aruan Drake, 37; and Peter Reed, 35, guilty of wire fraud conspiracy. Awoyemi and Drake were also convicted of money laundering conspiracy.
US authorities stated that the group gained access to email accounts and monitored victims’ conversations to understand how they operated.
They then sent false payment requests that appeared genuine, according to officials.
Source: Facebook
FBI bust car theft ring linked to Ghana
In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported earlier that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States had busted an international car-theft syndicate linked to Ghana.
A statement issued by the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, disclosed that six people were apprehended by the FBI following a one-year-long investigation.
According to the statement, the suspects are believed to be members of the car-theft syndicate, primarily operating in Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania.
Source: YEN.com.gh
