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Parma, Ohio man sentenced to 63 months in elder romance fraud conspiracy

The Highland County Press reports Abdoul Issaka Assimiou was ordered to pay $220,485 in restitution to 15 victims in a case brought in the Northern District of Ohio.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 8, 2026, 8:09 p.m. ET

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Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, 38, of Parma, Ohio, has been to 63 months (5.25 years) in prison, three years of supervised release and $220,485 in restitution to 15 victims, according to the Highland County Press. The case was brought in the , and the charge was conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, the outlet reported. The government says that from December 2017 to March 2024, Assimiou took part in an international elder fraud and money laundering conspiracy, according to the same report. Conspirators are said to have used dating websites and social media to create fake personas and romantic relationships with older Americans, who were misled by false stories — including claims of gold inheritances — into wiring money to accounts controlled by Assimiou and others. The government further alleges that Assimiou retained portions of the stolen funds and purchased products to ship to co-conspirators in Ghana, the Highland County Press reported. The FBI investigated the case. The matter remains a developing story, and the reporting available does not detail further proceedings or any statement from the defendant.

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