Derrick Van Yeboah, a 40-year-old Ghanaian national, pleaded guilty on March 5, 2026, for his role in a massive international fraud ring that stole over $100 million from victims across the United States.

Case Details

Van Yeboah, also known as “Van,” was a high-ranking member of a Ghana-based criminal organization that operated from 2016 to May 2023. The group targeted Americans through two primary methods:

• Romance Scams: Deceiving vulnerable individuals into believing they were in online romantic relationships to trick them into sending money.
• Business Email Compromise (BEC): Using spoofed email addresses to impersonate customers or employees, tricking businesses into wiring funds to the ring.

Legal Outcomes

• Guilty Plea: Van Yeboah pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
• Financial Penalties: He has agreed to pay $10,149,429.17 in restitution and forfeiture.
• Sentencing: He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian and faces a maximum of 20 years in prison.

Accomplices

Van Yeboah was extradited from Ghana to the U.S. in August 2025 alongside two other defendants:

• Isaac Oduro Boateng (a/k/a “Kofi Boat”), identified as a “chairman” or ringleader of the operation.
• Inusah Ahmed (a/k/a “Pascal”), also a high-ranking “chairman”.
• Patrick Kwame Asare (a/k/a “Borgar”), a fourth defendant, remains at large as of March 2026.