Four Ghanaian students have been arrested in the United States for allegedly forging high school transcripts to gain admission to Lehigh University in Pennsylvania. The accused, identified as Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo, have been charged with forgery and theft of services.

The students appeared before Northampton County Court on September 9, 2024, and are being held in jail on a $100,000 bail. They are scheduled to reappear in court on September 24, 2024.

According to reports, Lehigh University initiated an investigation after noticing discrepancies in the students’ transcripts. The inquiry revealed that the grades submitted were significantly higher than those on the official records from their high schools in Ghana.

The students had been attending Lehigh University since 2022 and 2023, receiving substantial financial aid packages. The university, working with the U.S. Department of State, uncovered the forgery after contacting the students’ high schools in Ghana for verification.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in support of the four students.