Tag:

Ghana

Gaithersburg, MD
Obituaries
'Life Had Its Own Plans:' Man Chasing American Dream Dies In Fatal Maryland Crash 'Life Had Its Own Plans:' Man Chasing American Dream Dies In Fatal Maryland Crash
'Life Had Its Own Plans:' Man Chasing American Dream Dies In Fatal Maryland Crash Isaac Akomanyi came to Maryland, leaving his wife and young son behind in Ghana, in search of the American dream. That dream was shattered in July when the Germantown man was involved in a fatal crash in Montgomery County, leaving 3-year-old Aden, wife Mavis, and other loved ones reeling in Africa. On the evening of Saturday, July 20, Akomanyi was driving a Nissan when he was involved in a crash with a Dodge Ram 1500 pick-up that ended with his car wrapped around a tree and the truck smashing through the back of his vehicle.  Now, the community is coming to the aid of the fa…

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by Zak Failla
New Haven, CT
News
21-Year-Old Pulled From CT Reservoir Was Talented Musician At CCSU 21-Year-Old Pulled From CT Reservoir Was Talented Musician At CCSU
21-Year-Old Pulled From CT Reservoir Was Talented Musician At Ccsu A man pulled from Connecticut reservoir was a talented musician who attended Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, according to the university.  Related: ID Released For 21-Year-Old Who Drowned In Oxford Reservoir Kai Thomas Boapeah, age 21, who has ties to Ghana, Africa, and Worcester County, Massachusetts, in the town of Dudley, was recovered in New Haven County on Thursday, June 20, in Seymour Reservoir #2 in New Haven County in Oxford. The state medical examiner has ruled Boapeah’s death as an accidental drowning. He had been residing with friends in Waterb…

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by Kathy Reakes
Pittsfield, MA
Police & Fire
Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA
Man Who Raped 2 Children At Great Barrington Treatment Center Sentenced To Up To 12 Years: DA A 44-year-old Berkshire County man who admitted to 23 charges including raping two 15-year-old girls was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison this week, authorities said.  Douglas Agyeh, of Pittsfield, was a former staffer at the Brookside School in Great Barrington, a treatment center for girls with behavioral or psychological issues.  Agyeh worked at the residential school for several weeks in 2021. He was responsible for monitoring the girls' behavior and protecting them as they slept. However, he took advantage of this authority, court records show.  One of his vic…

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by Josh Lanier
Edison, NJ
News
Man Who Suffered Traumatic Brain Injury In NJ Crash Mostly Recovered: 'One Step At A Time' Man Who Suffered Traumatic Brain Injury In NJ Crash Mostly Recovered: 'One Step At A Time'
Man Who Suffered Traumatic Brain Injury In NJ Crash Mostly Recovered: 'One Step At A Time' Kwame Sarfo is a walking miracle. Nearly three years after a pedestrian crash that left him unable to walk or talk, Sarfo says he is 80 percent recovered. "Keep going one step at a time," is what he tells others suffering from debilitating accidents. "You can do it." Sarfo, 31, of Old Bridge, was crossing Route 35 in Sayreville in May 2021.  Sarfo's head hit the windshield and pavement causing a brain hemorrhage. He was flown by helicopter in critical condition to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital and the driver stayed at the scene and was not cited. "I was unconscious for the …

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by Jon Craig
Newark, NJ
Police & Fire
Online NJ Romance Scammer Who Conned Woman Out Of $66,000 Gets More Than Two Years, No Parole Online NJ Romance Scammer Who Conned Woman Out Of $66,000 Gets More Than Two Years, No Parole
Online NJ Romance Scammer Who Conned Woman Out Of $66,000 Gets More Than Two Years, No Parole An Essex County man who helped swindle what he called a “filthy rich woman” out of nearly $66,000 in an online romance scam was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. Mahmoud Bowler, 40, of Newark, and an unidentified co-conspirator whom he grew up with in Ghana double-teamed the Florida victim over the course of nearly three years after connecting with her on an online dating site using a bogus profile name. Bowler then turned around and screwed his partner, keeping the majority of the money that they'd collected from the victim, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Phillip R. Sellinger said. …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Bergenfield, NJ
Police & Fire
New Milford Police Chief Joins Ranks Of Elite, Graduates From FBI Academy New Milford Police Chief Joins Ranks Of Elite, Graduates From FBI Academy
New Milford Police Chief Joins Ranks Of Elite, Graduates From FBI Academy New Milford Police Chief Brian Clancy has joined some select company. Less than 1% of police officers in the United States are accepted into the FBI's prestigious National Academy in Quantico, VA, which only takes law enforcers with proven records as exceptional professionals. It's no surprise to most that the academy accepted Clancy, 45, who was graduated proudly last week from its 286th session.  It's also no shocker that the affable chief made friends with several fellow officers -- and not only those from the U.S. "We learned best practices for policing from all over the country and …

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by Jerry DeMarco
Hartford, CT
News
Child Porn: East Hartford Man Gets 22-Year Sentence For Video Recording Sexual Assault Child Porn: East Hartford Man Gets 22-Year Sentence For Video Recording Sexual Assault
Child Porn: East Hartford Man Gets 22-Year Sentence For Video Recording Sexual Assault A Connecticut resident has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for sexually assaulting a girl under the age of 12 for more than two years and video recording the crimes. Saeed Mustapha Moussa, age 33, a citizen of Ghana last residing in East Hartford, was sentenced on Wednesday, Feb. 8 after pleading guilty to the production of child pornography, said Vanessa Roberts Avery, US Attorney for the District of Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, in September 2020, East Hartford Police received a report that Moussa’s cell phone contained videos of Moussa engag…

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by Kathy Reakes
Gaithersburg, MD
News
Bat Meat Seized From Maryland Man's Luggage At Dulles International Airport: Authorities Bat Meat Seized From Maryland Man's Luggage At Dulles International Airport: Authorities
Bat Meat Seized From Maryland Man's Luggage At Dulles International Airport: Authorities A Maryland man seemed to skip right past the barbecue and head straight to takeout when he brought home three pounds of bat meat from a recent trip from Ghana The Germantown was stopped by agents at Washington Dulles International Airport on April 5, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said.  While the bushmeat is a popular protein staple in Africa, it is illegal to bring it to the Unites States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is because bats are known for spreading diseases such as Ebola, CBP said.  The bat's skeleton can be seen in the bott…

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by David Cifarelli
Massapequa, NY
News
Man Admits In NY To Laundering Millions From Fraud Schemes Targeting Victims Across US Man Admits In NY To Laundering Millions From Fraud Schemes Targeting Victims Across US
Man Admits In NY To Laundering Millions From Fraud Schemes Targeting Victims Across US A 36-year-old man has pleaded guilty in New York to a charge related to a money-laundering scheme involving the theft of tens of millions of dollars. Fred Asante, of Virginia, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Feb. 16, to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to Damian Williams, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York. He was arrested on Feb. 17, 2021, Williams reported. “Fred Asante admitted today to laundering money from victims of various fraud schemes, including cruel scams targeting elderly online daters searching for companionship," Williams said. …

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by Nicole Valinote
Cherry Hill, NJ
News
Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M
Cyber-Casanova From NJ Admits Duping Dozens Of Lonely Hearts Out Of $1.14M A New Jersey man admitted that he orchestrated an online scam that conned dozens of unsuspecting women on dating sites out of more than a million dollars – and led one of them to suicide. Rubbin Sarpong, 37, of Millville pocketed the money and bought property in Ghana, along with luxury cars, expensive jewelry, top-shelf booze, designer clothes and more, federal authorities said. Then he flaunted it on Instagram. Sarpong had catfishing accomplices, several of whom live in Ghana, Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael Honig said. Posing as American military personnel stationed oversea…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Brookfield, CT
News
CT Resident Admits To Filming Sexual Assault Of Child CT Resident Admits To Filming Sexual Assault Of Child
CT Resident Admits To Filming Sexual Assault Of Child A 31-year-old Connecticut resident has pleaded guilty to a child exploitation offense related to his sexual assault of a child.  Saeed Mustapha Moussa, a citizen of Ghana who last resided in East Hartford, pleaded guilty on Monday, Nov. 15, to one count of production of child pornography, according to Leonard Boyle, acting United States attorney for the District of Connecticut. In September 2020, East Hartford Police received a report that Moussa had videos on his cell phone which showed him engaging in sexual activity with a child, Boyle said.  Police searched Moussa's home…

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by Nicole Valinote
Pittsfield, MA
News
COVID-19: Massachusetts Man Admits To Fraud, Identity Theft Charges Related To Pandemic COVID-19: Massachusetts Man Admits To Fraud, Identity Theft Charges Related To Pandemic
Covid-19: Massachusetts Man Admits To Fraud, Identity Theft Charges Related To Pandemic A Massachusetts man admitted to trying to profit from the COVID-19 pandemic by applying for phony business loans and then spending the money on personal expenses. Richard Oworae, age 59, of Worcester, pleaded guilty this week to fraudulently applying for business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to the tune of nearly $200,000. Specifically, Oworae pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identify theft. Acting US Attorney Nathaniel Mendell said that between July 2020 and August 2020, Oworae schemed to defraud the Sm…

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by Zak Failla
Newark, NJ
News
CDC Tells Customs Agents To Destroy Mysterious ‘Bushmeat’ Seized At Newark Airport CDC Tells Customs Agents To Destroy Mysterious ‘Bushmeat’ Seized At Newark Airport
CDC Tells Customs Agents To Destroy Mysterious ‘Bushmeat’ Seized At Newark Airport It’s with understandable concern that federal authorities seized nine pounds of illegal “bushmeat” that a passenger brought into Newark Airport from Ghana. We’ve all heard how bats that were sold at a wet market in Wuhan, China, may have either sparked the COVID-19 outbreak – or, at the very least, spread it -- nearly a year ago. Although it wasn’t immediately determined which animal or animals the cargo came from, bush meat has been made from those that can transfer diseases to humans, including bats. The passenger, a United States citizen, declared the meat and wasn’t in any trouble…

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by Jerry DeMarco
New Rochelle, NY
News
Chocolate Price Hike Could Be Coming: 'Cocoa Cartel' Nations Agree On Increase Chocolate Price Hike Could Be Coming: 'Cocoa Cartel' Nations Agree On Increase
Chocolate Price Hike Could Be Coming: 'Cocoa Cartel' Nations Agree On Increase The “cocoa cartel” may be coming to cause the cost of chocolate to spike nationwide, according to reports. A new report from the Wall Street Journal found that two countries that control 60 percent of the worldwide cocoa supply - dubbed the “cocoa cartel” - may soon drive up the cost of chocolate products around the globe. The report states that the Ivory Coast and Ghana are teaming to charge hundreds of dollars more per metric ton of cocoa, which will be put in place later this year. The “cocoa cartel” is expected to charge approximately $400 extra per metric ton, a 16 percent increase. I…

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by Zak Failla
White Plains, NY
News
Westchester Consulting Firm Owner Sentenced For Defrauding Investors Westchester Consulting Firm Owner Sentenced For Defrauding Investors
Westchester Consulting Firm Owner Sentenced For Defrauding Investors The owner of a consulting firm in Westchester is heading back to prison for more than four years after admitting to defrauding investors out of nearly a million dollars. Somers resident Douglas Castle, who already served time in prison for bilking investors in 2003, has been sentenced to 50 months behind bars after pleading guilty to wire fraud on July 26 in White Plains federal court. On June 25, 2003, Castle was sentenced in federal court to 34 months in prison and three years of supervised release for his conviction on an investment fraud scheme that caused investor losses of over $1.2 m…

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by Zak Failla