Ghanaian “businessman” and “real estate mogul” Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, popularly known as “Dada Joe Remix,” has reportedly been charged in the United States for his alleged involvement in a decade-long transnational fraud scheme.
According to a report by the US Department of Justice, Boateng was arrested in Ghana on May 28, 2025, following a U.S. extradition request.
He was subsequently indicted in the District of Arizona on May 30, 2025, on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
He has since been extradited to the United States.
According to U.S. court records released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Boateng and his associates allegedly operated a romance and inheritance scam between 2013 and 2023, deceiving elderly victims into believing they were entitled to gold and jewellery.
The victims were told these valuables could only be released after paying fabricated taxes and fees.
The charges against Boateng form part of a broader federal operation aimed at dismantling international fraud networks that prey on senior citizens. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the crackdown in conjunction with World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, reinforcing its commitment to protecting vulnerable older Americans.
In related developments, five individuals, Dwayne Asafo Adjei, David Onyinye Abuanekwu, Nancy Adom, Eric Aidoo, and Nader Wasif, were charged in the Northern District of Ohio for their alleged roles in similar scams.
An indictment unsealed on June 4 alleges that the group defrauded elderly U.S. citizens between December 2017 and March 2024 through fake romantic relationships and fraudulent business deals.
U.S. officials say the group laundered the stolen funds and distributed them to co-conspirators in Ghana and other countries.
Another indictment, unsealed on May 13, 2025, names Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah, Hannah Adom, Portia Joe, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, and again, Dwayne Asafo Adjei.
This group also faces charges tied to romance scams that tricked seniors into sending large sums of money under false pretenses.
All three cases are being investigated by the FBI and form part of a wider Justice Department initiative to combat international fraud targeting elderly Americans.
“Prosecutors across the country are stepping up the fight against malicious schemes that target older Americans. We are working with law enforcement at home and abroad to bring these criminals to justice and protect our seniors,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said.
See the full statement below
United States v. Charles Uchenna Nwadavid.
On April 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Massachusetts announced charges against Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a citizen of Nigeria who was arrested after landing at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In January 2024, a grand jury indicted Nawadavid on one count of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. Between approximately 2016 to September 2019, Nwadavid allegedly participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad.
United States v. Otuo Amponsah et al. On May 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio unsealed charges against Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah, Hannah Adom, Portia Joe, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, and Dwayne Asafo Adjei for their participation in conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.
United States v. Clinton Ogedegbe. On April 15, a grand jury in the Western District of North Carolina returned an indictment against Clinton Ogedegbe, charging him with one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of concealment money laundering.
According to court documents, from July 2023 through at least February 2024, Ogedegbe and his co-conspirators carried out a scheme to launder the proceeds of romance fraud schemes typically targeting elderly and other vulnerable victims. This case was investigated by the FBI.
United States v. Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix.” On May 30, a grand jury indictment was unsealed in the District of Arizona charging Joseph Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix,” a citizen of Ghana, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, from at least 2013 through March 2023, Boateng and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance/inheritance scheme that targeted elderly American victims and others around the world.
The co-conspirators falsely represented that they had gold and jewels and that to release such items, taxes and fees or other costs would be required. Ghanian authorities arrested Boateng on May 28 pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. This case was investigated by the FBI.
United States v. 679,981.22 Tether, et al. On June 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against 679,981.22 in the Tether cryptocurrency suspected of being fraudulently obtained as part of a romance/investment scam. According to court documents, one victim was targeted via LinkedIn and another victim was targeted though the dating App “Coffee Meets Bagel.”
United States v. John Muriuku Wamuigah. On May 22, Malaysia extradited Kenyan national John Muriuku Wamuigah to stand trial in the District of Connecticut on a wire fraud charge. According to court documents, Mamuiga and others executed a scheme to defraud using business email compromise and romance scams. The scheme involved exploitation of elderly victims through romance scams to serve as unwitting money mules.
United States v. Dwayne Asafo Adjei et al. On June 4, a superseding indictment sought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio was unsealed. It charges David Onyinye Abuanekwu, Dwayne Asafo Adjei, Nancy Adom, Eric Aidoo, and Nader Wasif with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies.
According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared in funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.
ID/MA
