Jamal Abubakari aka ‘Arrangement’ and In US Kamal Abubakari aka ‘Lancaster
Ghanaian socialite twins, Jamal Abubakari, also known as ‘Arrangement’ and Kamal Abubakari, aka ‘Lancaster’, have pleaded guilty to fraud charges relating to romance scam which deprived multiple Americans, Germans and Austrians of about $9 million.
The two, together with an American woman, pleaded guilty to charges of being part of an international criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from victims who were mostly older Americans.
The three face up to 20 years in prison when their sentence is handed down by a federal district court judge on February 9 and 10, 2027.
Information released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said victims in northern Ohio resided in Edgarton in Williams County while other victims resided in 24 other states and in Germany and Austria.
“All three defendants recently pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Jamal Abubakari, aka Jamal Abubakar, aka Arrangement, 22, and Kamal Abubakari, aka Kamal Abubakar, aka Lancaster, 22, pleaded guilty on October 13. Co-conspirator Amanda Joy Opoku-Boachie, aka Amanda Joy Glum, aka Amanda Joy Kessei Bierman, 53, of Kula, Hawaii, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2026,” the information stated.
Seizure
A High Court in Accra on September 24, granted the Attorney General’s request to search, seize and preserve the properties of Jamal Abubakari and Kamal Abubakari, over their alleged involvement in a romance scam.
The Office of the Attorney General had filed an application before the court seeking an order to seize and preserve the properties acquired by the accused persons through the alleged ill-gotten money as they face trial in the United States.
The application was filed pursuant to the Mutual Legal Assistance Act, 2010 (Act 807) which enables Ghana to provide for the implementation of agreements or other arrangements for mutual legal assistance in respect of criminal matters and to provide for related matters.
The three were indicted in May this year for allegedly being a part of a criminal network that devised romance fraud schemes to obtain money from victims by mostly targeting the elderly in the United States.
Allegations
US court documents indicate that from about July 2024 to April 2026, the defendants targeted older Americans on dating websites and social media platforms to engage in romance fraud schemes.
The three conspired with others to use fake personas to establish close, personal relationships with the victims which were often romantic in nature.
“After being misled by false stories, the victims sent money via wire transfer to financial accounts controlled by conspiracy members. Portions of the funds were further provided to co-conspirators in Ghana and elsewhere. Collectively, the victims lost more than $9 million,” the courrt documents further noted.
As part of the plea, the Abubakaris and Opoku-Boachie agreed to forfeit jewelry which investigators seized at the time of their arrests, including luxury timepieces, as well as high-end watches, rings, chains, medallions, and earrings.
The DOJ added that the investigation and prosecution are in response to the Elder Justice Initiative Program originating from the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act of 2017 (EAPPA). The mission of the EAPPA and Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial fraud, and scams that target the nation’s elderly population.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak