Columbus man pleads guilty in romance scam case
A Columbus man has pleaded guilty in federal court to his role in an online scam that bilked unsuspecting romance seekers of more than $6 million.
Kwame Yeboah, 36, of the Northeast Side, admitted to a single felony count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Columbus and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Judge Sarah D. Morrison will determine a final sentence in coming months.
Yeboah was one of three central Ohio men — the other two are Robert Asante, 37, of Canal Winchester, and Eric Ahiekpor, 50, of Lewis Center — indicted for money laundering in a scam that involved fake profiles placed on online dating sites.
Perpetrators established relationships with people, gaining their trust, then asked for money to invest in gold or diamond mines or for financial or legal troubles, according to court documents.
In one case, an individual “was defrauded out of $5 million over a period of one year,” according to documents. In another, an individual sent about $700,000 to cover shipping and customs fees for “a significant supply of diamonds and gold” amassed overseas.” Yet another victim was promised money from a rich oil baron.
Yeboah’s role focused on the money involved — he controlled accounts where about $1.7 million in ill-gotten gains were funneled, according to documents filed by federal prosecutors.
“Mr. Yeboah knew that the funds represented the proceeds of romance fraud,” according to the documents. “Mr. Yeboah also knew that financial transactions were designed in whole or in part to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership and control of the proceeds and to move the funds from the United States to Ghana.”
In addition to potential prison time, Yeboah agreed as part of a plea deal with prosecutors to repay at least $1.5 million. mkovac@dispatch.com @Ohiocapitalblog