Four Lehigh University students are in custody at the Northampton County Corrections Department, facing charges of forgery and theft of services, according to court records. The students—Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo—were arraigned on September 9 at the Magisterial District Court.
An email from University Communications revealed that serious fraud evidence was uncovered during a review of applications, leading to the rescission of admission for the involved students. These four Ghanaian international students are currently awaiting preliminary hearings scheduled for September 24.
LUPD Detective Lieutenant David Kokinda arrested the students, as detailed in three separate criminal complaints filed against Opoku, Sowah-Nai, and Dabuo on September 6. Prosecutors accuse them of submitting altered transcripts to the Lehigh Admissions Office, indicating higher grades than those reflected on their actual high school transcripts.
The complaint against Oppong is still being processed by the district court’s office. According to the complaint against Opoku, he has been enrolled at Lehigh since 2022 and received a financial aid package totaling $212,933.30. Sowah-Nai, who started in 2023, was awarded $127,213.70 in financial aid, while Dabuo, also attending since 2023, received a financial aid package worth $129,244.
Lehigh’s Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, Dan Werner, filed a forgery and fraud report with LUPD on August 23. He mentioned that Jude Dabuo, Henry’s brother, had been admitted to the university and was set to start his college career this semester. The Admissions Office grew concerned after spotting formatting, spelling errors, and other discrepancies on Jude’s transcript, prompting further investigation.
After revoking his admission, the office scrutinized Henry Dabuo’s credentials and discovered similar issues. The investigation was triggered by Henry’s application, which indicated that Opoku was a high school classmate, revealing additional discrepancies. Jude Dabuo’s application also mentioned Oppong and Sowah-Nai, leading to inquiries into their submitted materials, which were found to be materially different from their official transcripts.
“Fraud committed to obtain admission and financial aid is a felony,” University Communications emphasized. They noted that unchecked fraud jeopardizes the university’s mission to create educational opportunities for qualified students.
Currently, Opoku, Oppong, Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo are being held in Northampton County Prison without bail. As of Monday morning, neither prosecuting nor defense attorneys had been assigned to their case.
In a show of support, a GoFundMe page has been created and shared on social media by friends of the students. The campaign highlights that they have been in prison for the past week and lack the financial means to navigate their legal situation.
Both Opoku and Oppong made the Dean’s List at Lehigh for the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters, achieving GPAs of 3.6 or higher. The GoFundMe page aims to raise funds for bail reductions, commissary needs, evidence collection for bail reviews, and legal fees.
Originally set at $40,000, the funding goal has been adjusted to $30,925. As of September 21, the updated campaign has raised $14,786, and lawyers have been retained to represent each student, with total legal costs estimated at around $22,000. Organizers plan to distribute the funds evenly among the four students.
LUPD has refrained from commenting due to the ongoing investigation. University Communications reiterated their commitment to attracting academically talented students from around the globe and continuously reviewing their admissions processes.