Two brothers from Nigeria pleaded guilty Wednesday in connection with an international sextortion ring, in which they threatened to release a nude photo of a 17-year-old Michigan boy, driving him to commit suicide inside his home.
Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, each pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually exploit teenage boys, US Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement.
The Lagos brothers face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years behind bars, US Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said in a statement.
They were originally charged with conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child porn and conspiracy to commit stalking over the internet in a plot against dozens of young men and teen boys in the US.
In exchange for the plea agreement, the other charges will be dropped.
“Today’s guilty pleas represent an extraordinary success in the prosecution of international sextortion,” Totten said in the release. “These convictions will send a message to criminals in Nigeria and every corner of the globe: working with our partners both here and overseas, we can find you and we can bring you to justice.”
He continued: “I hope these guilty pleas also bring a small measure of relief to the family of Jordan DeMay, who died as a result of this crime. Of course, the job is not done.
“The Ogoshi brothers await sentencing later this year, and we are still pursuing the extradition of the third defendant, Ezekiel Robert,” Totten added.
DeMay, 17, was found dead in his home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound March 25, 2022, after an Instagram account officials said was run by the three Nigerian men threatened to release explicit photos of the teen if he did not pay $1,000.
For DeMay’s death, Samuel had faced a maximum penalty of life in prison after he was additionally charged with sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death.
The Marquette teen took his his own life after he was contacted by an Instagram account with the username “@dani.robertts,” officials have said.
“I can send this [sic] nudes to everyone and also send your nudes Until it goes viral,” Samuel messaged DeMay after the teen sent an explicit photo of himself, officials said.
Though the account appeared to be run by a woman, prosecutors said it was actually one of the several hacked profiles the sextorting trio used to entice and manipulate DeMay and others.
Despite being asked for $1,000, DeMay sent only $300, which prompted Samuel to threaten to forward the image to the high school football player’s family and friends.
The Ogoshis — who had previously been extradited from Nigeria to stand trial — were remanded to the custody of federal marshals after pleading guilty.
A Nigerian court recently ordered Robert, 19, the third defendant, to be extradited to the US, but he has appealed that decision and the matter is before the country’s High Court, officials said.
“Financial sextortion is a rising and very serious threat targeting our minors nationwide and this case shook the very core of our Michigan community,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan, said in a statement.
“We encourage the public to have open and honest conversations with their loved ones surrounding sextortion and to take heed of the warning signs,” Gibson said. “If you believe you or someone you know has become a victim of this crime, please contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.”
