Ghanaian socialite ‘Dada Joe Remix’ pleads guilty to $4.4million romance and inheritance fraud scheme targeting elderly Americans

Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, the Ghanaian socialite and businessman popularly known as “Dada Joe Remix,” has pleaded guilty in a United States federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a decade-long romance and inheritance scheme that defrauded elderly victims across America of approximately $4.4 million.

Boateng, a citizen of Ghana, entered his guilty plea last week in federal court in Tucson, Arizona, before United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona on June 30, 2026. He pleaded guilty to one felony count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.

Arrest and Extradition

Boateng was arrested in Ghana on an extradition warrant on May 27, 2025, following a formal extradition request from the U.S. government. He was extradited to the United States in June 2025 and has remained in federal custody since his arrest. A federal grand jury in Tucson had previously indicted Boateng in May 2023 on charges of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering.

The Fraud Scheme

According to court documents and Boateng’s plea agreement, he and his co-conspirators operated the fraudulent scheme from 2013 through March 2023, systematically targeting elderly victims in Arizona and across the United States.

Prosecutors said the conspirators contacted victims through online dating platforms, text messages, and other electronic communications, pretending to be romantically interested in them. After gaining the victims’ trust, the scammers falsely claimed to have received an “inheritance” of gold and jewels. They then told victims that taxes and other fees were required to release these items, persuading them to send money that was instead pocketed by the fraud ring.

Restitution and Sentencing

As part of his plea agreement, Boateng has agreed to pay restitution totaling approximately $4.4 million, which prosecutors said represents the direct financial losses caused by his involvement in the scheme.

Boateng’s sentencing is scheduled for September 8, 2026, before United States District Judge Angela M. Martinez.

Investigation and International Cooperation

The investigation was conducted by the FBI Phoenix Division’s Sierra Vista office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

Boateng’s extradition was made possible through essential support from multiple agencies, including the FBI Legal Attaché in Accra, Ghana; Ghana’s Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice; the Republic of Ghana’s Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO); the Ghana Police Service’s INTERPOL unit; and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs.

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