A Ghanaian man known as “Dada Joe Remix” has pleaded guilty in Arizona to a federal fraud charge tied to a romance-and-inheritance scheme targeting elderly victims.
Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
Boateng was arrested in Ghana on an extradition warrant on May 27, 2025. He was extradited to the United States in June 2025 and has remained in custody since his arrest.
As part of his plea agreement, Boateng agreed to pay about $4.4 million in restitution, which DOJ described as the direct loss caused by his role in the scheme.
The Scheme Used Romance And Inheritance Stories
In his plea agreement, Boateng admitted that he and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance and inheritance fraud scheme from 2013 through March 2023. Prosecutors said the scheme targeted elderly victims in Arizona and throughout the United States.
The romance part of the scheme used online dating sites, text messages, and other electronic communications. According to DOJ, conspirators pretended to be romantically involved with victims before moving the conversations toward money.
Prosecutors said the conspirators also falsely claimed they had received an inheritance involving gold and jewels. Victims were then told that taxes and other fees had to be paid before those items could be released to them.
DOJ said the direct loss tied to Boateng’s involvement totaled about $4.4 million.
The Case Reached Arizona After Extradition
A federal grand jury in Tucson indicted Boateng in May 2023 on conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering charges.
The case moved forward after authorities arrested him in Ghana in 2025 and brought him to the United States.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Sierra Vista office investigated the case. DOJ also credited support from FBI personnel in Accra, Ghana, Ghana’s Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice, Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office, Ghana Police Services INTERPOL, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Sentencing Is Scheduled For September
Boateng’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 8, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez.
He has remained in custody since his arrest, according to DOJ.
The guilty plea covers one count: conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The earlier indictment also included a conspiracy to commit money laundering charge, but DOJ’s plea announcement said Boateng pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Romance Scams Often Move Slowly Before Money Is Requested
The FBI says romance scammers use fake online identities to gain affection and trust, then use the relationship to manipulate or steal from the victim.
Scammers may move the conversation off a dating site, avoid meeting in person, claim an emergency, or ask for money after weeks or months of contact. They may also ask for bank account information, gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or help moving money.
Families should pay attention when an older relative is communicating with someone they have never met in person and begins sending money, selling property, withdrawing savings, borrowing from relatives, or hiding the relationship from people close to them.
Gold, Jewels, And Fees Are Common Inheritance Scam Claims
The inheritance part of the Boateng case matters because it gave victims another reason to keep paying. Prosecutors said victims were told that gold and jewels existed, but that taxes and other fees had to be paid before the supposed assets could be released.
Real inheritances do not require a stranger from an online relationship to collect repeated payments through unusual channels. A person who is told to pay fees for gold, jewels, customs costs, taxes, shipping, or legal paperwork should verify the claim through an independent attorney, bank, court, or government office before sending money.
Anyone who has already sent money should stop contact with the person asking for payment, save messages and transaction records, contact the bank or payment provider, and file a report with local law enforcement and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
The National Elder Fraud Hotline, run by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, is available at 833-372-8311 for people age 60 or older who need help reporting fraud.
