The heartbreaking story of a Ghanaian man deported from the US after love went wrong

A Ghanaian man who spent more than 17 years in the United States shared his devastating deportation experience after he was arrested and prosecuted for his brief romance with an African American woman.

According to Big Sam, she entered the United States on an exchange program, then married a citizen to get her green card. In an interview with Kofi TV on YouTube, he explained: “When I received my green card in 2007, I became a legal resident, working and paying taxes.

I came to Ghana with my child in 2009. When we returned to America, I had problems with my wife and she left home. “I was lonely then, but I was an expert at playing golf.”

Big Sam revealed that during a conversation with one of his golf partners, he mentioned that he had separated from his wife, and the friend encouraged him to meet an African American woman.

“We went out three times. One day he invited me to meet him, but I couldn’t because I had assignments for my master’s program. Later that evening, a friend invited me out somewhere,” Sam recounted.

He continued, “I got drunk… I got a call from the lady to come here. We went out and had fun. “I sat in his car to talk and started playing romantic games with him, kissing him and stuff.”

She continued: “When I started caressing her breasts, she resisted and told me to stop. I realized he was serious and stopped. Then my friend called and said that the girl was upset and didn’t want to see me again. I called him but he didn’t pick up, so I sent him a text apologizing.

Shortly after, Big Sam received a call from the police. “The CID asked if I knew the girl and played a recording of our interaction. I requested a lawyer,” he explained. Although his friends advised him to flee, he chose to stay, believing he had done nothing wrong.

However, a short time later, he was arrested on a warrant for unlawful sexual intercourse. “About ten police vans raided my house. I was kept behind bars for a long time before being sentenced to 24 months in the county jail. After I served my sentence, immigration officers were waiting for me because I was not a US citizen and had committed a crime before I turned seven with my green card. I was taken to court and the judge decided to deport me. “I was deported to Ghana at 3am one day.”

After his deportation, Sam’s struggles continued. He entered into a business deal with a man who he said defrauded him of his life savings of $7,000 and an additional GH¢102,000 from the sale of his three-bedroom house. “After I was deported, I was introduced to a man for a business deal. He defrauded me of $7,000 and GH¢102,000 of my life savings. “I sold my three-bedroom house and invested the money into his business, which he called American Tilapia.”

Sam later tried to make a fresh start in Turkey by borrowing $3,000 but encountered another setback. He was arrested and imprisoned for three months before being deported back to Ghana.

Reflecting on his trials, he shared: “As long as you’re alive, there’s always an opportunity. That’s my belief. As long as I’m healthy and not sick, there’s always a way. Sometimes I have suicidal thoughts and I wonder why not put an end to it.”

Despite struggles and betrayals, Big Sam’s story highlights his resilience and belief in a better future.

AM/OGB

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