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Parma, Ohio man sentenced to 63 months in elder fraud and money laundering conspiracy

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, 8:24 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 in the case was conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. According to the same report, the government said that from December 2017 to March 2024 Assimiou took part in an international elder fraud and money laundering conspiracy in which conspirators used dating websites and social media to create fake personas and romantic relationships with older Americans. Those victims were misled by false stories, including claims of gold inheritances, into wiring money to accounts controlled by Assimiou and others. The government also said Assimiou retained portions of the stolen funds and purchased products to ship to co-conspirators in Ghana. The FBI investigated the case. The Highland County Press report describes the case at the sentencing stage. It does not say how the case was resolved before sentencing — whether by guilty plea or by trial verdict — or on how many counts.

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