Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, from Lagos, Nigeria, have been sentenced to 17 and a half years in prison by a US court in Marquette, Michigan, for their role in a sextortion scheme that led to the suicide of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay.
The Ogoshi brothers executed a sophisticated sextortion operation that targeted over 100 individuals, including at least 11 minors. They utilized fake social media profiles to deceive their victims into sharing sexually explicit images, which they then used for blackmail. The victims were threatened with having their images exposed to their families, friends, and classmates unless they paid through online cash apps.
Jordan DeMay, who was from Marquette, Michigan, took his own life on March 22, 2022, after succumbing to the extortion. His death highlighted the devastating consequences of online sexual exploitation.
In November 2022, the US government charged the Ogoshi brothers and Ezekiel Robert, another Nigerian national, with the crimes. The brothers were extradited to the US in August 2023 and pleaded guilty in April. Robert remains in Nigeria, with his extradition pending an appeal.
US Attorney General Merrick Garland commented on the case, emphasizing that the sentences should serve as a warning to others involved in online sexual exploitation and extortion.
The sextortion scheme involved purchasing hacked social media accounts to create fake profiles of young women. The brothers used these profiles to gather information and coerce victims into producing explicit images. Jordan DeMay was extorted for hundreds of dollars and, despite his pleas for the harassment to stop, he was met with a chilling response from the brothers.
: “Good. Do that fast, or I’ll make you do it.” Tragically, Jordan took his own life shortly after.
The trial and sentence
During the trial, the defence argued that the brothers were influenced by drug abuse, a claim countered by federal prosecutors who maintained their guilt.
The court’s judgment highlighted the brothers’ “callous disregard for life,” noting their continued exploitation of other victims even after Jordan’s death.In addition to their prison sentences, each brother has been sentenced to five years of supervised release. This case has drawn significant attention to the rising threat of online sexual exploitation and the need for stringent measures to combat such crimes.
Furthermore, in January, the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) revealed a network of Nigerian social media accounts disseminating information and strategies for financial sextortion, with much of the content presented in Nigerian Pidgin English.
This finding underscores the broader issue of online exploitation and the challenges faced in addressing it on a global scale.
