Ghanaian businessman and philanthropist, Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, popularly known as Dada Joe Remix, has pleaded guilty in a United States court after being extradited to face charges related to a romance scam.
According to an official statement released by the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona on June 30, 2026, Dada Joe pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
The statement said that in his plea agreement, Boateng admitted that he and his co-conspirators targeted elderly Americans in Arizona and across the United States through a romance and inheritance fraud scheme between 2013 and March 2023.
“Last week, Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, also known as, ‘Dada Joe Remix,’ a citizen of Ghana, pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, a felony.
“In his plea agreement, Boateng admitted that he and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance and inheritance fraud scheme from 2013 through March 2023, targeting the elderly from Arizona and around the United States,” portions of the statement read.
Explaining how the scheme was carried out, the statement said Boateng admitted that he and his accomplices contacted victims through online dating platforms and text messages while pretending to be in romantic relationships with them.
The statement further alleged that the suspects deceived victims by claiming they had inherited gold and jewels but needed money to pay taxes and other fees before the assets could be released.
“The co-conspirators also falsely represented that they had received an ‘inheritance’ of gold and jewels and that to release such items to the victims, taxes and other fees would be required,” the statement added.
Following his guilty plea, the statement said Boateng agreed to pay approximately $4.4 million in restitution, which prosecutors said represents the direct financial losses caused by his role in the scheme.
The US court is scheduled to sentence him on September 8, 2026, before United States District Judge Angela M Martinez.
Boateng was arrested in Ghana on May 27, 2025, following the execution of an extradition warrant.
He was extradited to the United States in June 2025 and has remained in custody ever since.