OMAHA, Neb. (AP/WOWK) — A player on Omaha’s pro soccer team has been indicted on federal charges accusing him of defrauding people in internet romance scams. The Omaha World-Herald reports that 24-year-old Abdul Osumanu, of Ghana, is charged with two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and receipt of stolen money in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Osumanu is a starting defender for the Union Omaha professional soccer team, starting in the team’s first five matches until he was arrested on May 27. Authorities say Osumanu and another man created a fake online profile in 2017, pretending to be a woman, and convinced two people to send them more than $200,000 in the years since.
Osumanu attended the University of Charleston and played for the Golden Eagles in 2016. He transferred after his freshman season to Marshall University where he played in 59 games between 2017 and 2019.
“This investigation and subsequent indictments demonstrate the commitment the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners have in aggressively pursuing those who engage in online fraud scams and prey on vulnerable members of our communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Crimes involving romance scams and other online scams are increasing at an alarming rate. This case is a reminder that users of email, texts and social media should be aware of such scams and exercise extreme caution.”
Those with information about any potential scams are encouraged to report them at https://www.ic3.gov/.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
