By Peter Omopo
Ghanaian social media influencer Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, has been extradited to the United States to face prosecution over his alleged involvement in an $8 million romance fraud scheme that reportedly targeted elderly Americans.
Kumi was flown to the United States on Thursday to answer charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. He has denied all allegations against him. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years imprisonment.
According to U.S. prosecutors, Kumi allegedly used artificial intelligence technology to create fake online identities, which were used to target victims through social media and online dating platforms.
Investigators alleged that he cultivated long-term relationships with victims through frequent and intimate online conversations before persuading them to send money under false pretences, including fabricated medical emergencies, travel expenses, and investment opportunities.
Prosecutors further claimed that the funds and valuables obtained from victims were transferred to accomplices posing as third parties before being distributed among associates in both Ghana and the United States.
The extradition has, however, generated legal controversy in Ghana.
Kumi’s lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, told the BBC that he had appeared in court on Thursday seeking to halt the extradition but discovered that his client had already been flown out of the country aboard a Delta Airlines flight.
The lawyer accused the Ghanaian authorities of bypassing judicial oversight by proceeding with the extradition before the court could deliver its ruling, arguing that the government’s actions raise significant constitutional concerns.
As of the time of filing this report, the Ghanaian government had not publicly responded to the allegations regarding the extradition process.
A native of Swedru in southern Ghana, Kumi amassed nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram, where he frequently displayed luxury vehicles and an affluent lifestyle that had attracted public scrutiny over the source of his wealth.
He was arrested last year during a joint operation involving Ghanaian and United States law enforcement agencies.
The case is being prosecuted under the U.S. Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, as American authorities continue efforts to dismantle transnational fraud networks operating across the United States and West Africa that prey on elderly victims through online romance scams.
