Details of Abu Trica’s Alleged $8 Million Elder Romance Scam Case
A 31-year-old Frederick Kumi, also known as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng and “Abu Trica,” has been extradited from Ghana to the United States to face charges for allegedly defrauding more than 80 elderly victims out of more than $8 million in a romance scam network.
He was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025, and extradited to the U.S. on July 9, 2026.
He is facing trial alongside co-defendant Daniel Yussif, aka “Denteni” and “Slab,” 31, of Accra.
According to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Kumi and Yussif are alleged to have led a criminal network that targeted elderly U.S. citizens through romance fraud schemes between April 2023 and November 2025.
Prosecutors allege the group used online dating sites and social media to identify victims, many of whom were widows or divorcees.
Court records claim Kumi employed advanced techniques, including AI-driven video platforms, to impersonate fictitious female personas and engage with victims.
Other members of the network allegedly communicated with victims via encrypted apps and phone calls, using false stories about gold and diamond inheritances to solicit money.
Victims were instructed to send funds via wire transfer to accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy.
Authorities allege that portions of the proceeds were sent to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere, and laundered through “money mules” and fake businesses and bank accounts in Ghana and within the Ghanaian immigrant community in the U.S.
Court documents allege Kumi used proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury assets. Items seized by international law enforcement partners include a mansion in Ghana, a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes Benz, and a BMW.
Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The alleged illicit gains are also subject to forfeiture. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Sentencing, if any, will be determined by the Court based on factors including criminal history and role in the offense.
An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Elliot Morrison.
U.S. authorities acknowledged the cooperation of several Ghanaian agencies in securing the arrest and extradition, including the Ghana Attorney General’s Office, EOCO, the Ghana Police Service, Ghana Cyber Security Authority, NACOC, and the National Intelligence Bureau. U.S. partners included the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra.
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