Two Nigerian brothers were sentenced to 17 and a half years in federal prison on Thursday for their involvement in an international sextortion ring that targeted over 100 victims across the United States.
Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to exploit minors, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
The Ogoshi brothers, who were extradited from Nigeria to the United States in August 2023, were accused of running a scheme where they posed as young women to extort sexually explicit images from their victims. They used hacked social media accounts to lure individuals, including at least 11 minors, into sending compromising photographs.
The sextortion scheme is linked to the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay from Marquette, Michigan. In March 2022, Samuel Ogoshi, using the Instagram account “dani.robertts,” solicited explicit images from DeMay and then threatened to share the photos with the teen’s family and friends if he did not pay $1,000. DeMay, who paid $300, continued to face threats from Ogoshi. Subsequently, DeMay took his own life.
“To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go halfway around the world to do so,” stated US Attorney Mark Totten.
He also warned the public to be cautious with their personal information and to reach out for help if they become victims of similar crimes.
Sextortion, a growing issue in recent years, involves scammers posing as attractive people online to obtain explicit content from victims, which is then used to blackmail them for money. The Ogoshi brothers’ scheme was part of a broader trend, with recent reports indicating that teenage boys are frequently targeted by such scams. The FBI has received over 13,000 reports of sextortion involving minors from October 2021 to March 2023.
The sentencing also marks a step in increased international cooperation to address such crimes. The US Department of Justice recently announced the extradition of other suspects involved in similar schemes from Nigeria.
With input from USA Today and the Washington Post.
