Four Ghanaian Students Arrested in the U.S. for Allegedly Forging High School Transcripts

Four Ghanaian international students studying at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania have been arrested for allegedly forging high school transcripts to gain admission. The students, identified as Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo, are currently detained at Northampton County Jail and face charges of forgery and theft of services.

The arrests occurred after a criminal complaint was filed by Detective Lieutenant David Kokinda of the Lehigh University Police Department (LUPD) on September 6, 2024. The case against Evans Oppong is still being processed. Court documents reveal that the students submitted falsified transcripts to inflate their grades, enabling them to gain admission to the prestigious university.

Opoku, who enrolled in 2022, reportedly received financial aid amounting to $212,933, while Sowah-Nai and Dabuo, both starting in 2023, received financial aid worth $127,213 and $129,244, respectively.

The investigation began when Lehigh University’s Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, Dan Warner, noticed irregularities in a transcript submitted by Jude Dabuo, Henry Dabuo’s older brother. His admission was rescinded, prompting an investigation into the credentials of the younger Dabuo and the other students.

The four students remain in custody on $100,000 bail each, and as of Monday, they have not been assigned legal representation. A GoFundMe page, created by friends to support their legal defense, has raised $9,075 of its $30,925 target. The students, two of whom had previously earned spots on Lehigh’s Dean’s List, are awaiting preliminary hearings set for September 24.