Grand Jury Indicts 8 in Romance Scam Money Laundering Ring

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A sweeping federal indictment unsealed yesterday charges eight Central Ohio residents with laundering millions of dollars stolen from victims of elaborate online romance scams. Kwabena M. Bonsu, Kwasi A. Oppong, Kwame Ansah, John Y. Amoah, Samuel Antwi, King Faisal Hamidu, Nkosiyoxoxo Msuthu, and Cynthia Appiagyei are named in the indictment, which alleges a coordinated effort to clean cash obtained by emotionally manipulating victims across the United States.

The scheme, orchestrated through fake online dating profiles on platforms including Match.com, EHarmony.com, ChristianMingle.com, and Facebook, targeted lonely hearts seeking love. Perpetrators built romantic relationships with victims, then requested large sums of money—often $10,000 to over $100,000—under false pretenses such as gold investments, oil pipelines, or diamond ventures in Africa. The funds were wired to accounts controlled by the defendants, who then moved to conceal the trail through rapid transfers, cash withdrawals, and asset purchases.

One victim, deceived into believing she was engaged to a man named ‘Frank Wilberg’ on Match.com, sent thousands for a wedding and investment in a fake gold consulting firm. She wired money to accounts held by Amoah, Bonsu, Msuthu, and Appiagyei, believing she’d receive $6 million in return. She never saw her money again. At least 26 victims have been identified so far, with millions siphoned through the network.

Authorities say the defendants used shell companies and fraudulent business fronts to disguise the origin of the illicit funds. A portion of the money was used to buy salvaged vehicles advertised online—many of which were exported to Ghana—creating a veneer of legitimate commerce. Investigators describe the operation as a tightly run money-laundering pipeline feeding off emotional exploitation.

‘According to the indictment, the defendants laundered the funds from a scheme to seduce victims throughout the United States using dating websites like Match.com and then defrauding them of millions of dollars,’ said Benjamin C. Glassman, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. ‘This was not just fraud—it was financial predation on a systemic scale.’

The case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter K. Glenn-Applegate. An indictment is not a conviction: all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The charges carry severe penalties, including decades in federal prison if convicted.

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