On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, a federal judge sentenced Cincinnati resident Richard Opoku Agyemang to 41 months in prison after prosecutors said he laundered proceeds from an online dating scheme that pulled more than $2 million from dozens of victims. The court also ordered him to repay nearly $1.4 million, money investigators say many victims scraped together by draining savings and selling off assets. Agyemang, now 41, had pleaded guilty last year to laundering fraud proceeds.
Victims and court filings describe a long-running playbook of fake female personas and never-ending pleas for cash that left some people financially wrecked, according to reporting by The Cincinnati Enquirer. Prosecutors told the court that in 2023 Agyemang received more than $400,000 while operating as “Kathy,” and just under $350,000 in 2022 while posing as “Emily,” two examples they said showed how much money was flowing through the scam.
How Investigators Say The Scam Worked
According to local prosecutors, Agyemang’s coconspirators allegedly lifted photos and invented backstories to build convincing online dating profiles. After gaining victims’ trust, the profiles shifted from flirting to emergencies, with stories of urgent bills or travel that supposedly required quick cash. Victims were told to wire money or deposit checks into accounts controlled by Agyemang. More than $2 million moved through those accounts, according to WCPO, turning romance into a very real bank problem for dozens of people.
Indictment And Related Fraud Claims…