By Amoako Kwame
Ghanaian national Frederick Kumi, popularly known as Abu Trica, has been extradited to the United States to face prosecution over his alleged involvement in an $8 million romance fraud scheme, sources have confirmed to gbcghanaonline.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Abu Trica departed Ghana on Thursday, July 9, aboard Delta Airlines flight DL157, following the completion of legal processes authorizing his transfer to the United States.
His extradition comes after the High Court in Accra on July 2, 2026, granted a request by US authorities for his surrender to stand trial on allegations linked to an international romance scam operation that allegedly defrauded victims of millions of dollars.
Abu Trica had been in custody since December 2025 after his arrest in connection with the extradition proceedings initiated by the United States. During the proceedings, he was granted bail by the Accra High Court in the sum of GH¢30 million with two justified sureties after spending several months in detention.
Ahead of the extradition, his lawyer, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, expressed concern over the process, revealing that his client had reportedly been taken to the Police Hospital in Accra and that he had been unable to gain access to him before the extradition was carried out. Barker-Vormawor questioned whether Abu Trica had been afforded adequate legal access during the final stages of the proceedings.
Despite those concerns, the High Court ultimately approved the extradition request, clearing the way for Ghanaian authorities to hand him over to US officials.
The United States is expected to prosecute Abu Trica over allegations that he participated in a sophisticated romance fraud network that allegedly targeted victims through online relationships and false identities, persuading them to transfer large sums of money under various pretenses.
Romance scams typically involve perpetrators creating fake online personas on dating platforms or social media to establish emotional relationships with victims before manipulating them into sending money. Such schemes have become a growing form of transnational cyber-enabled financial crime, prompting increased cooperation between law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions.
With his extradition completed, Abu Trica is expected to make his initial appearance before a US federal court, where he will be formally informed of the charges against him. Under the US justice system, the allegations remain unproven unless and until they are established in court, and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty.