Abu Trica gets February 2027 jury trial date as plea-deal deadline nears

Frederick Kumi, known as Abu Trica, is due to remain in US federal custody as he waits for a jury trial scheduled to begin on February 8, 2027. The new date followed a pre-trial hearing on November 3, where prosecutors and the defence were given more time to review extensive evidence in the case, according to the report. The court has set December 15, 2026, as the deadline for the two sides to notify it of any plea agreement. Abu Trica has pleaded not guilty, and the report says he could still choose to negotiate a deal before that date. A final pre-trial conference is scheduled for January 13, 2027, at 11 a.m., with the trial set to start at 9 a.m. on February 8. Prosecutors in Ohio have charged Kumi with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money. The charges carry a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison. The US Department of Justice alleges that he and others used online dating platforms and artificial-intelligence video tools to pose as different people and defraud more than 80 elderly US residents of over $8 million between April 2023 and November 2025. These remain allegations; the report notes that Kumi has denied the charges. The article says Kumi was arrested in Ghana in December 2025 in an operation involving Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority and was extradited to the United States on July 9, 2026. It also points to the case of Ramon Abbas, known as Ray Hushpuppi, who received a 135-month sentence after pleading guilty in a separate fraud and money-laundering case. That comparison is presented as context, not as a prediction of Kumi’s eventual sentence.