Local woman indicted in romance scam

HOUSTON – A 38-year-old resident of Richmond has been charged for operating as a “money mule” as part of her involvement in a nationwide romance fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.

Akua Dufie is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison at 2 p.m. today.

On Feb. 16, a federal grand jury returned the seven-count superseding indictment adding Dufie to an existing case against her co-conspirator, Kenneth Anim, 39, a dual citizen of Ghana and the United States who is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on these charges. 

From 2014 to 2019, Dufie and Anim allegedly created individual sham businesses. The charges allege they operated as money mules in relation to various mail and wire fraud schemes including internet fraud and romance scams.

Dufie and Anim also allegedly opened and maintained bank accounts to collect proceeds from the schemes and to send the money to themselves, co-conspirators and overseas.

If convicted, Dufie and Anim face up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $500,000 maximum fine.

The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Belinda Beek and Grace Murphy are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.