The U.S. Department of Justice, on Thursday, December 11, 2025, announced the arrest of a Ghanaian national known commonly as Abu Trica.

Abu Trica, who also goes by Emmanuel Kojo Baah Obeng or Frederick Kumi, faces a 2-count indictment of defrauding elderly victims.

The 31-year-old ran a criminal network, committing romance scams on the vulnerable elderly and using artificial intelligence for false identification.

The accused, according to the DOJ, built trust through frequent, intimate conversations by phone, email, and messaging platforms, then requested money or valuables under false pretences.

If proven guilty by the U.S. prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. McDonough, a fraud investigations expert, Abu Trica could face up to 20 years in federal prison.