Assets belonging to Ghanaian socialite Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, including a mansion in Ghana, a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes-Benz, a BMW and other valuables, have been seized by international law enforcement agencies as part of an alleged $8 million romance fraud and money laundering investigation in the United States.
According to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the seized assets are believed to have been acquired with proceeds from an alleged fraud scheme that targeted more than 80 elderly victims across the United States between April 2023 and November 2025.
The DOJ also disclosed that Kumi’s alleged ill-gotten gains are subject to forfeiture and that he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy.
The US prosecutors allege that Kumi, also known as Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng, and his co-defendant, Daniel Yussif, alias Denteni or Slab, led a criminal network that used online dating platforms and social media to target elderly victims, many of whom were widows or divorcees.
Investigators claim Kumi employed artificial intelligence-powered video technology to pose as fictitious female personas, while other members of the network communicated with victims through encrypted messaging applications and phone calls to maintain the deception.
Victims were allegedly persuaded to transfer money after being fed fabricated stories about gold or diamond inheritances. The funds were wired to accounts controlled by members of the conspiracy before portions were transferred to co-conspirators in Ghana and other countries.
According to the DOJ, the group also relied on money mules in Ghana and members of the Ghanaian immigrant community in the United States to launder millions of dollars through fake businesses and bank accounts.
Kumi, who was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025, was extradited to the United States on July 9, 2026, to stand trial over the allegations.
The Department of Justice stressed that an indictment is only an allegation and does not constitute evidence of guilt. It noted that Kumi is presumed innocent unless and until his guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
The investigation was led by the FBI’s Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorneys Brian M. McDonough and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.
US authorities acknowledged the support of several Ghanaian institutions in securing Kumi’s arrest and extradition, including the 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.
The Department of Justice said the case is being prosecuted under the Elder Justice Initiative Programme, established under the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 to combat abuse, neglect, financial fraud and scams targeting older adults.