Nigerian Men Involved In Massive Online Sextortion Ring Caught And Extradited

The internet is vast, and everyone there is literally strangers.

Because they hide behind the screen, and can reside anywhere in the globe, they can do what they want to do, say what they want to say, and target whoever they want to target, without feeling any guilt.

This is why on the web, sextortion is common.

And this time, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, both from Lagos, Nigeria, arrived in the U.S., after the two were extradited.

According to the court, the two were involved in a massive illegal sextortion ring that target many people, including minors.

Sextortion, or also called sexual extortion, is a form of blackmail in which scammers pretend to be someone online, coerce their victims to send nude or explicit photos and/or videos of themselves.

After obtaining the private materials, the scammers then attempt to get victims to pay an amount of money in order for the photos and/or videos not to be released.

In other words, sextortion is the practice of extorting money from someone by threatening to reveal sensitive material.

And here, prosecutors alleged in court documents filed in May that Samuel and Samson preyed on young men, including 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, who died by suicide after the men threatened to post explicit photos he sent them through the internet.

It all began when 22-year-old Samuel and 20-year-old Ogoshi alleged posed as a girl on Instagram. With the help of another scammer, 19-year-old Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, they interacted with "hundreds" of victims.

One of whom, was Jordan DeMay of Marquette, in the Upper Peninsula, according to Mark Totten, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan.

To target the young man, the authorities said that the three Nigerian men pretended to be a female by first purchasing a young girl's hacked Instagram account and used it to message DeMay, soliciting explicit photos from him.

When DeMay fell for the trick, and sent the three men his nude photo, the men then allegedly demanded $1,000 from him.

The suspects threatened to release DeMay's nude photo to DeMay's friends and family unless a ransom was paid.

Because DeMay didn't have that much money, he only sent $300.

Instead of showing remorse or even a bit of empathy, the men allegedly further pushed DeMay beyond his limit.

"Enjoy your miserable life," Ogoshi allegedly wrote.

In shock and desperate, DeMay said to the men that he was going to kill himself because of what he was being put through.

“I’m [killing myself right now],” DeMay wrote back. “[Because] of you.”

"Good," Ogoshi allegedly wrote back. "Do that fast. Or I’ll make you do it."

DeMay who became suicidal, then killed himself with a firearm, according to Totten.

DeMay was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 25, 2022.

"Jordan’s smile could light up any room," his mother, Jennifer Buda, said to reporters at a press conference with federal law enforcement officials in May.

"Jordan’s charm and beautiful smile were contagious. drawing people to him wherever he went and leaving a lasting impression on everyone he met."

While Totten did not say how many other victims there might be, the FBI said that in 2022 alone, the law enforcement agencies in the U.S. have received over 7,000 reports related to the online sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys.

And among that many, about a dozen of the sextortion victims were reported to have died by suicide.

"Sextortion is a horrible crime," said Totten.

"To those who commit these crimes: we will pursue you around the world. And to those who are victims: please know we stand ready to help you."

At a press conference on Sunday, Totten credited the partnership of the FBI and Nigerian officials for bringing the men to justice.

"I am extremely pleased with how swiftly extradition efforts moved forward and am grateful to the FBI and our Nigerian law enforcement partners for their unyielding work to secure justice in this international sexual exploitation investigation," he said.

Samuel and Samson Ogoshi each face single counts of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child pornography and conspiracy to commit stalking through the internet.

As for Samuel, he also faces single charges of sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death.

If found guilty of the above-mentioned charge, the Nigerian men could face a minimum of 30 years in prison.

Upon being extradited, the two men who arrived at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 11:15 a.m. local time, were transferred to Newyago County, before turned over to the control of the U.S. Marshall.

When the news broke, Ezekiel Ejehem Robert has also been charged in this case, but his extradition was still underway.

It's worth noting that according to officials, three additional Nigerians are also facing charges in Nigeria and are moving through the criminal justice system there.