Four Ghanaian students, Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo, have been arrested in the United States for allegedly submitting forged high school transcripts to secure admission to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania.
According to court documents, the students were accused of submitting transcripts with inflated grades to the Lehigh Admissions Office, leading to the rescinding of their admission.
The investigation began on August 23, when Lehigh’s Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, Dan Werner, filed a forgery/fraud report with the Lehigh University Police Department (LUPD) with Detective Lieutenant David Kokinda handling the case.
Otis Opoku, who has been a student at Lehigh since 2022, received a financial aid package worth $212,933.30.
Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai and Henry Dabuo, both of whom started attending the university in 2023, were awarded financial aid packages of $127,213.70 and $129,244, respectively.
The students were arraigned at Magisterial District Court on Monday, September 9, 2024, and charged with forgery and related offences.
They are currently awaiting preliminary hearings scheduled for Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
