Lehigh University has uncovered an alleged transcript forgery scheme involving four former students from Ghana, resulting in a combined $590,000 in financial aid fraud, according to university police.
The discovery was made during a routine review of admissions documents, which eventually led to the arrest of the students on charges of forgery and theft of services.
The investigation began when inconsistencies were flagged in the application of Henry Dabuo’s brother, who had recently applied to Lehigh University for the upcoming academic year.
The 25-year-old applicant, Jude Dabuo was deemed older than most incoming freshmen which raised questions within the admissions office, prompting a deeper examination of his high school transcript.
According to court records obtained by GraphicOnline, the transcript contained “concerning format, markings, and spelling errors.” As a result, Lehigh rescinded his admission.
The case quickly expanded after university officials noticed similar discrepancies in the high school transcript of Henry Dabuo, who had been enrolled at Lehigh for several years.
Dabuo’s brother had mentioned knowing three other Ghanaian students currently studying at the university.
With the assistance of the U.S. State Department, Lehigh obtained and reviewed the high school transcripts of those three students, uncovering the same problematic patterns.
The four former students—Henry Dabuo, Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, and Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai—are accused of inflating their grades on falsified high school transcripts to gain admission and secure financial aid.
The amount of aid each allegedly received includes:
– Otis Opoku, 20, accepted $212,933
– Evans Oppong, 21, accepted $120,970
– Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, 20, accepted $127,214
– Henry Dabuo, 22, accepted $129,344
Part of the affidavit reads:
AFFIDAVIT of PROBABLE CAUSE
1. Your Affiant, Detective Lieutenant David Kokinda, is a member of the Lehigh University Police Department and has been a police officer in the Commonwealth since 2012.
Your Affiant is currently assigned as the Unit Supervisor of the Investigative and Professional Services division within the Department.
Your Affiant has worked as a criminal investigator for the majority of his career. Your Affiant has investigated and successfully prosecuted cases involving theft, forgery, and fraud.
2. On 8-23-2024 the Lehigh University Police Department received a report of Forgery/Fraud from Dan Warner, Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid from Lehigh University, located at 27 Memorial Drive West Bethlehem, PA 18015.
3. Wamer relayed to police that a Ghanaian International student applicant, Jude Dabuo, was admitted into the University and set to begin his college career in fall 2024. Jude Dabuo was 25 years old at the time of the admittance.
Being that it was uncornmon for a 1st year student to be 25 years old, the Admissions Office looked into Jude Dabuo’s application in more depth. The Admissions Office discovered concerning format, markings, and spelling errors on Jude Dabuo’s transcript, leading them to question its validity.
Jude Dabuo’s offer of admission was rescinded. Jude Dabuo was unable to obtain a student Visa for an unrelated reason and did not gain entry into the United States.
4. While reviewing Jude Dabuo’s application, he noted his younger brother, Henry Dabuo, was a current student of Lehigh University. This led the Admissions Office to look further into Henry Dabuo’s credentials. Henry Dabuo is also a Ghanaian international student. The Admissions Office found the exact same concerning formats, markings, and spelling errors on Henry Dabuo’s transcript. It should be noted that Jude and Henry Dubuo’s transcripts came from different high schools and different years of attendance.
5. With the assistance of the U.S. Department of State, the Admission’s Office was able to contact confirmed officials at Henry Dabuo’s high school in Ghana, Official transcripts for Henry Dabuo were obtained by the Admissions Office.
This legitimate transcript differed, grade-wise weaker, from the transcript Henry Dabuo submitted to the University, which led to his offer of admission.
6. In Henry Dabuo’s application, he cited knowing another current student, Otis Opoku. This led to the examination of Opoku’s credentials in more depth. Opoku is also a Ghanaian intermational student.
The Admissions Office found the exact same markings, format, and spelling errors as on Henry and Jude Dabuo’s transcripts. Opoku also attended the same high school as Henry Dabuo.
7. With the assistance of the U.S. Department of State, the Admission’s Office was able to contact confirmed officials at the Otis Opoku’s high school in Ghana. Official transcripts for Otis Opoku were obtained by the Admissions Office.
This legitimate transcript differed, grade-wise weaker, from the transcript Otis Opoku submitted to the University, which led to his offer of admission.
All four students, previously residing in Bethlehem during their enrollment at Lehigh, have been charged and are currently being held in Northampton County Prison on $100,000 bail each.
A friend of the students has since launched an online fundraiser to cover their legal fees, urging the community to reserve judgment until the four can defend themselves in court.
Lehigh University spokesperson Amy White confirmed that the students are no longer enrolled at the institution and highlighted the seriousness of the charges.
“Clear evidence of serious fraud was revealed during a review of applications,” White said. “Fraud committed for the purpose of obtaining admission and financial aid is a felony. It impacts the integrity of the admissions process and, if left unaddressed, the university’s ability to create opportunities for qualified students.”
Lehigh University has pledged to continuously review and strengthen its admissions procedures to ensure similar cases of fraud are detected early and handled appropriately.
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