A Ghanaian man extradited to the United States has admitted guilt in a federal romance and inheritance fraud case that prosecutors say defrauded elderly victims nationwide of about $4.4 million over a ten-year span.
Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, popularly known as “Dada Joe Remix,” entered his guilty plea in a federal court in Tucson, Arizona, where he acknowledged conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Authorities say Boateng was arrested in Ghana on May 27, 2025, pursuant to an extradition request and was transferred to the United States the following month. He has remained in federal custody since his arrival.
Prosecutors outlined a scheme that allegedly ran from 2013 to March 2023, involving Boateng and unnamed co-conspirators who posed as romantic partners to deceive victims, most of them elderly, through dating platforms, text messages, and other online communication channels.
Once contact was established, victims were drawn into fabricated stories involving a supposed “inheritance” of gold and jewels. They were then told they needed to pay taxes and processing fees before the assets could be released.
In his plea agreement, Boateng accepted responsibility for his role in the conspiracy and agreed to restitution of roughly $4.4 million, reflecting the total losses attributed to the scheme.
His sentencing has been set for September 8, 2026, before United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez.
Investigations were led by the FBI Phoenix Division’s Sierra Vista office, with prosecution handled by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
The extradition effort involved cooperation between multiple agencies, including the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana; Ghana’s Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice; the Economic and Organised Crime Office; Ghana Police Service INTERPOL; and the US Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.
