Editor’s Note: This story has been altered to include comments from the university and updates regarding fundraising.
Four Lehigh students are in custody of the Northampton County Corrections Department on charges of forgery and theft of services, according to Northampton County Court Records.
Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai and Henry Dabuo were arraigned at Magisterial District Court and charged on Sept. 9.
According to an email sent to The Brown and White from University Communications, evidence of serious fraud was revealed during a review of applications, resulting in the rescinding of admission for those students.
The four Ghanaian international students are currently awaiting preliminary hearings scheduled for Sept. 24.
LUPD Detective Lieutenant David Kokinda was the arresting officer, according to three separate criminal complaints filed against Opoku, Sowah-Nai and Dabuo on Sept. 6.
Prosecutors are accusing the students of allegedly submitting transcripts to the Lehigh Admissions Office that reported higher grades than their high school transcripts.
The criminal complaint filed against Oppong is still being processed, according to the district court’s office.
According to the complaint against Opoku, he has been a student at Lehigh since 2022 and received a financial aid package worth $212,933.30.
Sowah-Nai has been a student at the university since 2023, according to the complaint against him, and was awarded $127,213.70 in financial aid.
Dabuo has also attended Lehigh since 2023 with a financial aid package worth $129,244, according to the complaint filed against him.
Lehigh Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid Dan Werner, filed a forgery/fraud report with LUPD on Aug. 23, according to the affidavits.
Warner told police a Ghanaian International student applicant, Jude Dabuo — Henry Dabuo’s brother — was admitted to the university and was set to begin his college career this semester, the affidavits say. Warner also relayed to police that Jude Dabuo was 25 years old at the time of admittance. Noting how this was uncommon, the Admissions Office looked into his application further.
“The Admissions Office discovered concerning format, markings and spelling errors on Jude Dabuo’s transcript, leading them to question its validity,” according to the affidavits.
After rescinding his admission, the affidavits state that the office then looked into his younger brother’s credentials and found the same problems on his transcripts. With help from the U.S. Department of State, the office reached out to his high school in Ghana and obtained his transcripts. They claim to have found discrepancies.
According to affidavits, Henry Dabuo’s application mentioned that Opoku was a high school classmate, which prompted an investigation into his credentials. They claim to have found the same markings, format and spelling errors.
Jude Dabuo’s application also mentioned Oppong and Sowah-Nai, according to the affidavits, which prompted the Admissions Office to look into their application material.
The office obtained both students’ official transcripts from their respective high schools and claims the transcripts submitted in their applications were materially different.
“Fraud committed to obtain admission and financial aid is a felony,” University Communications wrote.
The university wrote that if fraud is left unaddressed, it affects the university’s ability to create opportunities for qualified students to further their education.
Opoku, Oppong, Nomobon Sowah-Nai and Henry Dabuo are being held on $100,000 bail in Northampton County Jail, according to judicial records.
As of Monday morning, neither prosecuting nor defense attorneys have been assigned to the case, according to the district court’s office.
On Sunday, a GoFundMe page was created and shared on social media in support of the four students.
According to the GoFundMe page, organized by friends of the students, they were active members of the Lehigh community.
“They have been in prison for the past week and do not have the financial means to navigate this situation and advocate for their rights,” the page states.
Opoku and Oppong were placed on Lehigh’s Dean’s List for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters, meaning they earned GPAs of 3.6 or higher.
The page creator wrote funding from the campaign will be used to file for bail reductions, fund commissary and basic needs, secure evidence for a bail review, and pay lawyer fees.
A new GoFundMe was shared today after organizers said they paused the initial page to transfer responsibilities to an unknown organization. The previous fundraiser collected $9,075.
According to the GoFundMe, the original goal of $40,000 has been changed to $30,925.
LUPD has declined to comment due to the fact this is an open and ongoing investigation.
“Lehigh remains committed to attracting academically talented and motivated students from across the globe to our campus,” University Communications wrote. “Our admissions processes are continuously reviewed and enhanced in consideration of emerging applicant trends and needs.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for more updates.
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4 Comments
Who in Admissions escalated criminal charges to African international members of our community? As always, I’m disgusted and ashamed of my alma mater.
Evans Oppong is my half brother. I’ve been trying to reach him since last week Thursday but to no avail, only for me to find this article that he has been arrested for forgery and theft of service.
I know my brother is academically good and I know he has done nothing wrong. He won the National Science and Maths Quiz in Ghana representing Prempeh College in 2021. I know he didn’t do anything wrong and has been arrested for nothing.
Please I want justice for my brother. The family has no money to pay. I know he has been wrongly convicted. Evans will never do that.
Looks like all four are incarcerated because each of their court docs say “Unable to Post Bail”
On a broader scale, this kind of event reflects poorly on the wider student community, particularly international students from Ghana, and can contribute to heightened scrutiny of applications from that region. This makes it more difficult for genuine students to seek opportunities abroad through legitimate means. At the same time, it raises important questions about access to quality education, the pressures students face, and the measures that need to be in place to prevent desperation from driving unethical choices. Education authorities in Ghana might consider further addressing the factors leading students to resort to such measures, promoting awareness of the consequences and ensuring stronger pathways for academic advancement that do not rely on deceit.