Frederick Kumi, popularly known as “Abu Trica,” has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering before a United States District Court.
The accused, who was extradited from Ghana to the United States, is alleged to have conspired with one Daniel Yussif and others to participate in a scheme that used Artificial Intelligence tools to create fake identities and establish relationships with victims to solicit money under false pretences.
According to U.S. prosecutors, the alleged scheme involved the use of sophisticated online deception techniques, including AI-generated content and false identities, to gain the trust of victims before convincing them to transfer money to members of the network.
Appearing before the court, Abu Trica denied all the charges against him.
“I am not guilty,” he told the court during his arraignment proceedings.
The United States District Court, presided over by Judge John R. Adams of the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, has scheduled September 8, 2026, for the commencement of the jury trial, while a pre-trial conference has been fixed for August 25, 2026.
Court documents indicate that both the prosecution and the defence are free to engage in plea negotiations should they wish to explore that option before the commencement of the trial.
However, the court made it clear that any such agreement must be reached before the pre-trial conference date.
“Accordingly, the court will not accept plea agreements after the date of the pre-trial,” the court stated in its ruling.
