Two Nigerians sentenced for sextortion scheme that led to Michigan teen's death

Sept. 6 (UPI) -- The Justice Department said Friday announced sentences against two Nigerian brothers for their role in a sextortion scheme that led to the death of a Michigan teen.

Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, were each sentenced to 210 months in prison and five years of supervised release after they were convicted of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors in the scheme targeted more than 100 other victims, including at least 11 minors.

Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old from Marquette, Mich., committed suicide after being victimized by the Nigerian sextortion scheme, which the Justice Department said

"These sentences should serve as a warning that the perpetrators of online sexual exploitation and extortion cannot escape accountability for their heinous crimes by hiding behind their phones and computers," Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in a statement.

U.S. Attorney Mark Totten of the Western District of Michigan warned teenagers and everyone using cell phones not to share compromising images and to not assume people are who they say they are when online.

"Today's sentencing of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi sends a thundering message. To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice," he said.

Totten said during a press conference Friday that multiple other deaths tied to sextortion schemes are under investigation in the Western District of Michigan.

The Justice Department said the scheme carried out by Samuel and Samson Ogoshi used hacked social media accounts to pose as young women. Fake profiles were made that helped them solicit teen victims.

The victims were persuaded to send sexually explicit images of themselves to the fake female personas. The Ogoshis compiled photo collages of the images and combined them with other images of victims they found through research.

They threatened to disclose those photos to family, friends and classmates of the victims unless the victims paid money to prevent it.

The Ogoshis were extradited to the United States in August 2023 and pleaded guilty in April.

A third Nigerian, Ezekiel Robert, is also charged in the sextortion scheme. He has appealed extradition from Nigeria and the case is before the Nigerian High Court.

In April Australian authorities arrested two Nigerians in a separate sextortion case of an Australian teen who committed suicide under threats intimate photos would be sent ot family and friends.

Sextortion is when a criminal actor coerces a victim to create and send them sexually explicit material. The perpetrator then demands money or more content from their victim under threat to release the material.

In July Meta said it took down 63,000 Instagram accounts based in Nigeria as well as a coordinated network of roughly 2,500 accounts linked to 20 people in a crackdown on sextortion.