Omaha pro soccer player pleads not guilty in ‘romance scam’

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A player on Omaha’s pro soccer team has pleaded not guilty to federal charges accusing him of using an online romance scam to swindle people out of more than $214,000.

Abdul Osumanu, 24, of Ghana, entered the pleas remotely Tuesday in a West Virginia federal court to two counts of mail fraud, two counts of wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and receipt of stolen money, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

Osumanu is a starting defender for the Union Omaha professional soccer team but has not participated in practices or games since he was arrested on May 27.

Investigators have said Osumanu and another man created a fake online profile in 2017, pretending to be a woman and convincing two people to send money