Four Ghanaian students studying in the United States have been arrested for allegedly submitting fake high school transcripts to gain entry into Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, according to court documents from Northampton County.

The students, identified as Otis Opoku, Evans Oppong, Cyrilstan Nomobon Sowah-Nai, and Henry Dabuo, are facing charges of forgery and theft of services.

They are currently being held at Northampton County Jail, with bail set at $100,000 each, as they await their preliminary hearings scheduled for September 24. The group was arraigned on September 9.

Lehigh University Police Department (LUPD) began the investigation after a complaint was filed by Detective Lieutenant David Kokinda on September 6, implicating three of the students.

The fourth student, Evans Oppong, is still under investigation, and his case is pending processing.

Prosecutors allege that the students altered their high school transcripts, inflating their grades to secure admission and substantial financial aid from the university.

Opoku, enrolled since 2022, reportedly received $212,933 in aid, while Sowah-Nai and Dabuo, who both started in 2023, were awarded $127,213 and $129,244, respectively.

The inquiry was initiated after Dan Warner, Lehigh University’s Vice Provost of Admissions and Financial Aid, raised concerns about discrepancies in a transcript submitted by Jude Dabuo, Henry’s older brother, who had recently been accepted to the university.

The document exhibited unusual errors and inconsistencies, leading the Admissions Office to revoke Jude’s acceptance and scrutinize his brother's application, uncovering further issues with the other three students’ records.

Friends of the accused have since created a GoFundMe page to support their legal expenses, including attorney fees and bail.

Initially aiming to raise $40,000, the campaign was paused after collecting $9,075 and was later updated with a new goal of $30,925.

The page also highlights that both Opoku and Oppong had previously earned spots on Lehigh’s Dean’s List, a distinction requiring a GPA of 3.6 or higher.