2 Nigerian men plead guilty to sexually extorting teenage boys

MARQUETTE, Mich., (WPBN/WGTU) -- Two Nigerian men have pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually extort teenage boys across the United States.

One of the men was originally charged in relation to the 2022 suicide of a Michigan teenager.

Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, both of Lagos, have both pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten's office announced on Wednesday.

As part of their plea deals, the Ogoshi brothers have agreed to cooperate with the prosecution in potential future cases. A third defendant in the case, Ezekiel Robert, has appealed an order to be extradited to the United States to face charges and remains in Nigeria.

• Prior story: A teen's death in a small Michigan town led the FBI and police to an online sexual extortion scheme

The Ogoshi brothers' sextortion scheme involved them using social media accounts posing as young women to lure young adult males into sexual chats, Totten's office said in a news release in 2023.

The brothers solicit the males to send sexually explicit images of themselves to these social media accounts. Once they received the images, the brothers would threaten the victims to pay them money or else they would share a collage that included the sexually explicit image to their friends and family, according to Totten's office.

Samuel Ogoshi was originally charged in relation to the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, of Marquette, who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2022.

"Today’s guilty pleas represent an extraordinary success in the prosecution of international sextortion," Totten said in a statement on Wednesday.

"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 said.

A conviction of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years.

Anyone who is a victim of sextortion is encouraged to contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Tips can also be submitted online at tips.fbi.gov.