In a shocking turn of events, four Ghanaian students – Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo – have been arrested in the United States for allegedly forging their high school transcripts to gain admission to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
The students, who are currently being held in Northampton County Jail, face charges of forgery and theft of services.
According to court records, the students submitted falsified transcripts to Lehigh University’s Admissions Office, inflating their grades to secure financial aid and admission to the prestigious private research institution.
Opoku, who has been a student since 2022, received financial aid totaling $212,933, while Sowah-Nai and Dabuo, who started in 2023, were awarded financial aid worth $127,213 and $129,244, respectively.
The investigation began when Lehigh’s Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, Dan Warner, raised concerns about the legitimacy of a transcript submitted by Jude Dabuo, Henry Dabuo’s older brother.
Unusual markings, formatting, and spelling errors on the document led to further inquiries, revealing similar discrepancies in the applications of the other three students.
The students are currently being held on $100,000 bail, with no legal representation assigned to their case as of Monday.
A GoFundMe page has been launched to raise funds for their legal defense, including bail reduction, commissary expenses, and attorney fees.
BY Daniel Bampoe