Ghanaian ‘Dada Joe Remix’ Pleads Guilty in U.S. to $4.4 Million Elderly Fraud Scheme

A Ghanaian man extradited to the United States last year has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy over his role in a decade-long romance and inheritance scam that targeted elderly Americans.

Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, also known as “Dada Joe Remix,” entered the plea in court after being arrested in Ghana on a U.S. extradition warrant in May 2025. He has been in U.S. custody since his transfer in June 2025, federal prosecutors said.

How the scheme worked

According to court filings, Boateng admitted he and others ran the fraud between 2013 and March 2023. The group focused on elderly victims in Arizona and across the U.S.

Prosecutors said they used dating sites, text messages, and other online platforms to pose as romantic partners. They later claimed to have inherited gold and jewels, then persuaded victims to send money for fake taxes and administrative fees supposedly needed to release the assets.

$4.4m in restitution agreed

As part of the plea deal, Boateng will pay about $4.4 million in restitution, covering the direct financial losses linked to his part in the operation.

The case was investigated by the FBI Phoenix Division’s Sierra Vista office and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

U.S. officials acknowledged support from several international partners in securing the extradition, including the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana’s Ministry of Justice, the Economic and Organised Crime Office, Ghana Police Service – INTERPOL, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

Sentencing set for 2026

Boateng is due to be sentenced on September 8, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez.