Benjamin Ashford|Nigerian brothers get 17 years for sextortion that led to Michigan teen's death

Two brothers from Nigeria were sentenced Thursday to 17 1/2 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sexually extorting more than 100 young men and Benjamin Ashfordteenage boys across the United States, including a Michigan high school student who died by suicide, prosecutors said.

Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, each pleaded guilty in April to conspiring to exploit teenage boys sexually and were later extradited from Nigeria to the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan. They were accused of running an international sextortion ring in which they posed as young women and targeted over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors. 

Prosecutors said the Ogoshis conducted their sextortion scheme while living in Nigeria, where they bought hacked social media accounts and used them to lure victims with fake profiles. The scheme resulted in the death of 17-year-old high school student, Jordan DeMay, in March 2022.

DeMay died from a self-inflicted gunshot at his home in Marquette, Michigan, after he was blackmailed by Samuel Ogoshi, according to court records.

"To criminals who commit these schemes: you are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go halfway around the world to do so," U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said in a statement. "And to parents, teenagers, and everyone who uses a cell phone: please, please be careful. These devices can connect you to criminal networks around the world. Don’t assume people are who they say they are. Don’t share compromising images. And if you’re a victim, please reach out."

Financial sextortion schemes have spiked in recent years with scammers lurking on social media, pretending to be attractive women and persuading men to send nude or suggestive photographs and videos. They then use the compromising imagery to blackmail the victim by threatening to post it on social media or send it to the victim's loved ones in exchange for cash.

A father lost his son to sextortion.He helped the FBI find the suspects.

Ogoshi brothers created collages of victims' personal photos

Prosecutors said the Ogoshis used their fake social media profiles to message victims. They researched online about the victims to learn where they lived, worked, attended school, and to find out the identities of victims' families and friends.

The Ogoshis then solicited sexually explicit images from their minor victims and created a collage of photographs that included the compromising image with other photos of the victim and their school, family, and friends. The two brothers "threatened to disclose the collages to the family, friends, and classmates of the victim unless the victim agreed to pay money using online cash applications," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

The Ogoshis "used and shared scripts and ideas of how to extort money from the victims," according to court records. A script excerpt showed an example:

"Hey, I have screenshot all ur followers and tags and those that comment on ur post. I can send this nudes to everyone and also send your nudes Until it goes viral….All you’ve to do is to cooperate with me and I will not expose you," an indictment reads.

Michigan teen blackmailed with sexually explicit image for $1K

The Ogoshis used an Instagram account under the username "dani.robertts," according to court records. On March 25, 2022, Samuel Ogoshi used the account to target DeMay.

Court records show that Samuel Ogoshi solicited a sexually explicit image from DeMay and then threatened to share the image to the teen's social media followers, and his family and friends if he didn't pay $1000. After DeMay only paid $300, Samuel Ogoshi made more threats to send the compromising photo to DeMay's family and friends.

DeMay then messaged that he was going to kill himself, according to court records. Message excerpts included in court records show Samuel Ogoshi responding with "Good," "Do that fast," and "Or I’ll make you do it."

Prosecutors said Samson Ogoshi used the same Instagram account to target a 21-year-old who lived in Warrens, Wisconsin.

Sextortion schemes operated on international scale

A June report, released jointly by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and technology nonprofit Thorn, found that teenage boys are often the primary target in these schemes. The report also identified Nigeria as one of the countries most often tied to sextortion schemes.

Those involved in the schemes are also linked to large crime networks or smaller coordinated networks. Reuters reported in July that Meta Platforms, which owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, had removed about 63,000 accounts in Nigeria that attempted to engage in sextortion schemes mostly aimed at adult men in the U.S.

Federal authorities have warned that sextortion schemes are a "growing threat preying upon our nation’s teens." From October 2021 to March 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Homeland Security Investigations received more than 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors.

According to the FBI, these schemes involved at least 12,600 victims, who were primarily boys, and resulted in at least 20 suicides.

If you or someone you know is or could be a victim of online sexual violence, including sextortion, organizations like the National Sexual Violence Resource Center are here to help survivors and their loved ones. Visit NSVRC.org for help and support.

If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text, or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services. 

Contributing: Krystal Nurse and Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY; Reuters