HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A federal jury delivered a guilty verdict to Abdul Inusah, 31, of Ghana, concluding a three-day trial exposing a callous fraud and money laundering operation that preyed on lonely hearts and trusting citizens across multiple states. The scheme, based in Huntington, West Virginia, utilized meticulously crafted false identities online to swindle victims out of their life savings.
Prosecutors presented evidence detailing how Inusah and his co-conspirators created fake personas through email, text messaging, and social media, establishing what appeared to be romantic relationships, friendships, or even business ventures. From January 2018 through December 2019, these fabricated identities were used to manipulate victims into sending money under a barrage of false pretenses. The victims, often emotionally vulnerable, were convinced to fund nonexistent needs for the benefit of the perpetrators.
The scam’s cruelty was starkly illustrated by one case: an Alabama resident was relieved of $106,000 after being targeted by the persona “Miarama.” This individual was tricked into wiring $48,000 to cover supposed overdue taxes on a phantom gold inheritance in Ghana, and an additional $21,000 to Bitsav Supply LLC – a shell company directly linked to Inusah. Another victim, a Washington state resident, was swindled with the promise of a romantic life with the persona “Grace,” who claimed to need funds to maintain a cocoa plantation in South Africa and relocate to the United States.
The jury found Inusah guilty on three counts: receipt of stolen money, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and two counts of wire fraud. The wire fraud convictions stemmed from a pair of $2,000 Zelle wire transfers received by Inusah in January 2019, funds directly obtained through the “Miarama” deception. The scope of the fraud extended beyond Alabama and Washington, with victims also identified in Ohio and Florida.
“It is truly heartbreaking how this conspiracy exploited individuals who were particularly vulnerable, such as following the death of a longtime spouse,” stated U.S. Attorney Will Thompson. He emphasized the deceptive nature of the scheme, noting that some victims remained convinced of the authenticity of their relationships even after the fraud was revealed. Thompson praised the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FDIC-OIG, the West Virginia State Police, and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the trial. Inusah now faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison when he is sentenced on November 21, 2022. Authorities urge anyone suspecting online fraud to report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at https://www.ic3.gov/. Victims of elder financial fraud can seek assistance at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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