Two men arrested in US for alleged $60,000 church email scam

Two men, Samuel Opoku and Ousmane Gassama Diaby, have been arrested in connection with an email fraud scheme that allegedly defrauded a church in Troup County, Georgia, of more than $60,000.

Investigators from the Troup County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division began the case in 2025 after the church reported losing funds it believed were being sent to a legitimate partner organization. Authorities allege the suspects manipulated email communications and established fraudulent accounts to divert payments. The stolen funds were reportedly withdrawn via ATM transactions.

Opoku was arrested following a lengthy investigation into the transactions. Diaby, who was based in Arlington, Virginia, had reportedly been wanted by authorities in Ghana for several months. He was apprehended in New Jersey in October 2026 shortly after arriving from Ghana. Diaby faces multiple felony charges, including identity theft, money laundering, theft by taking, and initiating deceptive commercial emails.