U.S. authorities arrested four Ghanaian international students for allegedly forging high school transcripts to gain admission to Lehigh University, court records show.
The students—Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo—are currently in Northampton County Jail facing charges of forgery and theft of services. Their arraignment occurred on September 9, and preliminary hearings are scheduled for September 24.
The university’s student newspaper reports that Lehigh University Police Detective Lieutenant David Kokinda filed criminal complaints against three students on September 6. Prosecutors claim the students submitted falsified high school transcripts, inflating their grades to secure admission to the prestigious university.
Court documents reveal Opoku, enrolled since 2022, received $212,933 in financial aid, while Sowah-Nai and Dabuo, who both started in 2023, were awarded $127,213 and $129,244, respectively.
The investigation began when Lehigh’s Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, Dan Warner, flagged discrepancies in a transcript. This transcript was submitted by Jude Dabuo, Henry Dabuo’s older brother.
The inconsistencies in Jude’s transcript led to his admission being rescinded, prompting further investigation into his brother’s application.
Further inquiries revealed similar discrepancies in the applications of the other three students. The four students are currently being held on $100,000 bail.
As of Monday, no legal representation has been assigned to their case. Friends launched a GoFundMe page to raise funds for their legal defence, including bail reduction, commissary expenses, and attorney fees.
The GoFundMe campaign, aiming to raise $40,000, has collected $9,075.
Lehigh University officials and the LUPD have not further commented on the case.
