Dada Joe Remix pleads guilty in US Court to multi-million-dollar romance fraud
Ghanaian businessman Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, popularly known as “Dada Joe Remix,” has pleaded guilty before a United States court to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in connection with a large scale international romance scam that defrauded elderly Americans of millions of dollars.
Boateng, who was extradited from Ghana to the United States in June 2025, admitted his involvement in the sophisticated criminal network, bringing a significant development to a case that has been under investigation by American and international law enforcement agencies.
According to a statement issued by the United States Embassy in Ghana, Boateng has agreed to pay approximately US$4.4 million in restitution to compensate victims of the fraud.
The Embassy said the prosecution reflects the continued collaboration between the United States Government, the Government of Ghana and international law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cybercrime and other transnational offences targeting American citizens.
Details released by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona indicate that Boateng was arrested in Ghana on May 27, 2025, under an extradition warrant before being transferred to the United States the following month, where he has remained in custody.
As part of his plea agreement, Boateng admitted participating in a romance and inheritance fraud operation that ran from 2013 until March 2023 and primarily targeted elderly victims in Arizona and other parts of the United States.
Investigators said members of the criminal network created fake identities on online dating platforms and other electronic communication channels, where they posed as romantic partners to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims.
After establishing relationships with the victims, the conspirators falsely claimed they had inherited large quantities of gold, precious jewels and other valuable assets but needed money to pay taxes, customs duties and processing fees before the supposed inheritance could be released.
Victims were persuaded to send substantial sums of money based on these false representations, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.