Derrick Van Yeboah, a Ghanaian national known as “Van,” has pleaded guilty to his role in a massive criminal enterprise that defrauded victims of more than $10 million through sophisticated romance scams.
Operating as part of a Ghana-based criminal organization, Yeboah and his co-conspirators allegedly targeted dozens of vulnerable individuals—primarily the elderly—stealing a combined total of over $100 million.
In addition to romance fraud, the group engaged in business email compromise (BEC) schemes to deceive companies into authorized fraudulent wire transfers.
On Thursday, March 5, 2026, Yeboah entered a guilty plea for conspiracy to commit wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. The announcement was made by Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, whose office is leading the prosecution.
“Derrick Van Yeboah pleaded guilty to a massive criminal scheme targeting elderly men and women in online romance scams,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Many New Yorkers search for companionship online, and no one deserves to have their vulnerability met with fraud and theft. Van Yeboah cruelly exploited those vulnerabilities for over $10 million in illicit profit. Today’s plea is a reminder to be vigilant online—especially on dating websites; never give money to someone you just met—and if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” the statement said.
According to charging documents and public court filings, the conspiracy utilized fake identities to build trust with victims on dating platforms. Once a romantic rapport was established, the conspirators manipulated these individuals into sending money directly to the enterprise or unknowingly assisting in laundering funds stolen from other victims.
Beyond individual targets, the organization executed BEC attacks, tricking businesses into wiring corporate funds to accounts controlled by the criminal group. U.S. officials report that the illicit proceeds, totaling more than $100 million, were subsequently laundered and transferred to West Africa.
Yeboah was specifically identified as a primary perpetrator who personally impersonated romantic partners to deceive victims. He is held directly responsible for more than $10 million of the stolen funds.
The count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud carries a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison. As part of his plea agreement, Yeboah has agreed to pay $10,149,429.17 in both restitution and forfeiture.
Judge Subramanian has scheduled the sentencing for June 3, 2026.
In closing the announcement, U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton praised the investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and extended gratitude to the government of Ghana and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their cooperation.
The case continues to be handled by the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Mitzi Steiner leading the prosecution.
