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A 38-year-old Parma, Ohio resident has been sentenced to 63 months in federal prison for his role in a romance fraud conspiracy that defrauded elderly victims across Northern Ohio and other U.S. states, with proceeds funneled to co-conspirators in Ghana.
US District Judge John R. Adams sentenced Abdoul Issaka Assimiou on Thursday, July 16, 2026, after he pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to prison time, Assimiou was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $220,485 in restitution to 15 victims.
Dating Sites Used to Target Elderly Victims
According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Assimiou was part of a fraud network that operated from December 2017 to March 2024.
Court records show that Assimiou and his co-conspirators created fake personas on dating websites and social media platforms to build emotional relationships with unsuspecting victims, many of them elderly.
The group used fabricated stories to extract money, including claims of gold inheritances and other financial windfalls. Once trust was established, victims were instructed to wire funds into bank accounts controlled by Assimiou and other members of the scheme.
In a press release issued July 14, prosecutors said the scheme preyed on victims in Northern Ohio and beyond, using romance scams to solicit money over several years.
Financial Pipeline to Ghana
Prosecutors said Assimiou served as a key domestic link in the transnational operation.
Rather than keeping all of the stolen funds, he retained a portion for himself and used additional proceeds to purchase goods. Those items were then shipped directly to fraud co-conspirators based in Ghana.
“His role in purchasing and shipping products to Ghana suggests a well-organized arrangement designed to move both money and goods across borders while obscuring the trail of stolen funds,” the US Attorney’s Office stated.
That connection to Ghana was central to the case and highlighted how the network coordinated activity between victims in the United States and operatives abroad.
Broader Crackdown on Ghana-Linked Fraud Cases
Assimiou’s sentencing comes amid a wider US law enforcement push targeting international fraud networks with links to Ghana.
In recent months, several Ghanaian social media personalities and public figures including Dada Joe Remix, Abu Trica, Kofi Boat, Arrangement, and Lancaster have been arrested and extradited to the United States to face trial in connection with similar fraud investigations, according to federal authorities and local law enforcement partners.
Officials say the cases reflect growing cooperation between US agencies and international partners to disrupt romance scams and money laundering operations that target vulnerable Americans.
Restitution and Supervision
Judge Adams ordered Assimiou to pay $220,485 in restitution to the 15 identified victims. Following his release from prison, he will be subject to three years of federal supervision.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
Authorities are urging the public, particularly older adults, to be cautious of unsolicited romantic contacts online and to report suspected fraud to law enforcement.
