Cyberstalking: 2 Nigerian brothers sentenced for sextortion over Michigan teen’s suicide

*The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan sentences Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, two brothers from Lagos, to serve 17 years and six months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for posing as young women online, to gather nude images of juvenile males and young men to use as blackmail against them

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

The United States (US) Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan has sentenced two Nigerian brothers for posing as young women online in order to gather nude images of juvenile males to use as blackmail against them in the American country.

The US Attorney Thursday, September 5, 2024, sentenced Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, two brothers from Lagos, to serve 17 years and six months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.

It was learnt the sextortion scheme had targeted over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors, and resulted in the 2022 suicide of a Marquette teenager in the US.

The two men, however, pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, CBS Austin report said.

Report also indicated the Ogoshi brothers used fake social media profiles to pose as young women and engage with minors and young men, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.

The Attorney’s office also stated: “They conducted online research about their victims to learn where they lived, attended school, worked, and the identities of their family and friends.

“They then, solicited their minor victims to produce sexually explicit images of themselves.

“Once they received the images, they created a collage of pictures that included the sexually explicit image with other images of the victim and their school, family, and friends.”

The men then threatened to share the images to the victim’s family, friends and classmates unless the victim’s paid them using online cash applications, report said.

According to the Attorney’s office, Samuel Ogoshi was originally charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, in relation to the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, of Marquette, who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound March 2022.

A third Nigerian man, Ezekiel Robert, was also charged in relation to the sextortion scheme.

Robert has appealed a Nigerian court’s order to extradite him to the United States, according to report.

Commenting on the development, US Attorney Mark Totten reportedly stated: “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.

“The Justice Department will find them, no matter where they are, and we will bring them to justice in the United States.”

Meanwhile, anyone who is a victim of sextortion is encouraged to contact the US Federal Bureau of Investigation on 1-800-CALL-FBI.

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