Ghanaian Students Face US Court Over Alleged Transcript Forgery at Lehigh University

Three Ghanaian students, accused of falsifying high school transcripts to secure admission to Lehigh University, appeared in court on October 8 for a preliminary hearing. The students—Evans Oppong, Henry Dabuo, and Otis Opoku—are currently detained at Northampton County Prison on charges of forgery and theft of services.

The arrests were made by the Lehigh University Police Department on September 9, alongside a fourth Ghanaian student, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, whose hearing is scheduled for October 15.

During the proceedings, Dan Warner, Lehigh University’s Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, testified that the students’ transcripts raised suspicions due to noticeable similarities and unusual formatting. He stated that an internal review revealed substantial discrepancies between the submitted documents and the official records from Opoku Ware School in Kumasi, Ghana.

Warner noted that the altered transcripts contained inflated grades, which enabled the students to obtain considerable financial aid packages—$212,933 each for Oppong and Opoku, and $129,344 for Dabuo.

Defense Attorney Evan Hughes disputed the evidence, arguing that the transcripts had not been properly authenticated in accordance with U.S. federal rules for foreign documents. He also questioned whether third-party agencies involved in the application process might have introduced errors during translation and processing.

The hearing has been adjourned, with the next court appearance set for November 7, as the legal proceedings continue to unfold.