31-year-old Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica, is facing up to 20 years of imprisonment for defrauding more than 80 elderly victims out of more than $8 million, according to US court records.
A press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio said Abu Trica and co-defendant Daniel Yussif were part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims in romance scams across the United States since 2023.
According to court documents, Kumi and Yussif acted as leaders of a group that used online dating sites and social media to identify and target their victims, who were often widows or divorcees.
Kumi allegedly employed advanced techniques including AI-driven video platforms to engage with the victims under fictitious female personas.
The statement said, “Others involved in the deception leveraged Ghanaian associates to communicate directly with victims via encrypted apps and by phone to maintain the false identities used to facilitate the fraud.”
US prosecutors said victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members after being misled by false stories or gold or diamond inheritances.
They allege that portions of the funds were provided to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere while Kumi and others used money mules based in Ghana and contacts in the Ghanaian immigrant community in the U.S. to launder millions of dollars through fake businesses and bank accounts.
According to authorities, Kumi allegedly used the proceeds from the fraud scheme to acquire luxury vehicles with assets seized, including a mansion in Ghana, a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes-Benz, and a BMW.
Abu Trica, who was extradited to the United States on July 9, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy and faces up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.
