US authorities have highly commended Ghana’s security and legal apparatus for their pivotal role in the successful arrest and extradition of 31-year-old Frederick Kumi, widely known as “Abu Trica”, to face justice in America.
In an official statement, the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio extended its gratitude to the Ghana Attorney General’s Office, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
Their close co-operation with US federal partners, including the FBI, culminated in Kumi’s arrest in Ghana on 11 December 2025, and his subsequent extradition to the United States on 9 July.
Kumi, a native of Swedru, alongside his Accra-based co-defendant, 31-year-old Daniel Yussif (alias Denteni or Slab), allegedly masterminded a ruthless criminal syndicate. Between April 2023 and November 2025, the network targeted more than 80 vulnerable elderly citizens across the United States, swindling them out of more than $8 million (£6.1 million).
The syndicate specifically preyed on isolated individuals, often widows and divorcees, using online dating websites and social media. Kumi reportedly deployed advanced techniques, including artificial intelligence (AI) video platforms, to impersonate fictitious female personas.
To keep the victims hooked, other members of the syndicate leveraged Ghanaian associates to communicate directly with them via encrypted messaging applications and phone calls.
The victims were eventually manipulated into transferring vast sums of money under the illusion of helping to secure fictitious gold or diamond inheritances.
The funds were subsequently funnelled to co-conspirators in Ghana and laundered through fake businesses and local bank accounts using “money mules”.
While his elderly victims lost their life savings, Kumi funded a lifestyle of sheer opulence. International law enforcement agencies have since seized several of his high-value acquisitions in Ghana, including a luxury mansion, a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes-Benz, and a BMW.
Currently held in the US, Kumi has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
His seized assets are subject to forfeiture, and he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
The prosecution is being handled under the US Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative Programme, which coordinates federal efforts to combat financial scams targeting older adults.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
