Ghanaian socialite Abu Trica extradited to US over alleged $8 million romance scam

Kumi departed Ghana aboard Delta Airlines flight DL 157, ending months of legal battles to block his transfer to American authorities. He is wanted in the United States to face trial over his alleged role in an international romance fraud and wire fraud scheme that defrauded elderly American victims of more than $8 million.

Last-minute legal bid fails

The extradition comes just hours after Kumi’s lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, raised serious concerns about his client’s welfare and the denial of access to legal counsel. On Wednesday, July 8, Barker-Vormawor disclosed that Kumi had been rushed to the Police Hospital while in state custody.

“I have just found out from sources at the Police Hospital that Abu Trica has been rushed to the hospital,” Barker-Vormawor wrote on social media. He added that it had been over a week since lawyers were allowed to meet with their client despite repeated requests.

“In fact, we have no idea where he is being held, and Interpol, which first had custody of him, says they don’t have him,” the lawyer stated.

Barker-Vormawor had earlier made an oral application to the High Court in Accra to compel the Attorney-General to disclose his client’s whereabouts and grant access. He also threatened to file a habeas corpus application if authorities continued to deny Kumi access to legal representation.

The case against Abu Trica

Kumi, a 31-year-old from Agona Swedru in Ghana’s Central Region, was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 following a joint operation by Ghanaian law enforcement agencies and their United States counterparts.

According to unsealed documents from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, Kumi is accused of being part of a criminal network that targeted senior citizens through online romance scams across the United States since 2023. Prosecutors allege that Kumi and his co-conspirators used Artificial Intelligence software to assume false identities and cultivate intimate online relationships with victims through social media and dating platforms. They then gained the trust of elderly individuals before soliciting money or valuables under false pretenses, including urgent medical expenses, travel costs, and investment opportunities.

The indictment further claims that once funds were transferred, Kumi helped distribute the money from Ohio to co-conspirators in Ghana and other locations.

He faces charges including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and a forfeiture specification. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

Legal battle timeline

The extradition case has been closely watched in Ghana. On March 27, 2026, the Gbese District Court cleared the way for Kumi’s extradition, granting him 15 days to file documents to contest the ruling. On April 21, the High Court granted him bail in the sum of GH¢30 million with two justified sureties after months in detention.

However, on July 2, 2026, an Accra High Court dismissed his application to block his transfer to the United States. Barker-Vormawor, who was outside Ghana at the time, indicated the matter would be taken to the Supreme Court.

On July 6, the High Court dismissed an emergency application filed by Kumi to halt his extradition. The court had scheduled a hearing for July 9 to consider a motion seeking a stay of the extradition order pending appeal—the same day Kumi was instead placed on a flight to the United States.

Lawyer’s criticism

Barker-Vormawor criticised what he described as the treatment of Ghanaian citizens in cases involving foreign law enforcement agencies.

“Let’s keep treating our citizens as animals to please the FBI. We are doing well. Today, it’s a supposed ‘fraud boy’. Tomorrow it will be a politician,” he wrote.

He had previously argued that denying Kumi the opportunity to challenge the extradition decision would raise concerns about the rights of other Ghanaians who may find themselves in similar situations.

At the time of publication, the Ghana Police Service, the Attorney-General’s Department, and other relevant authorities had not publicly responded to Barker-Vormawor’s allegations regarding access to his client.