A U.S. court in Marquette, Michigan, has sentenced Samuel Ogoshi, 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, both from Lagos, Nigeria, to 17 and a half years in prison for their roles in a sextortion scheme that led to the tragic suicide of 17-year-old high school student Jordan DeMay.
The Ogoshi brothers orchestrated an elaborate sextortion scheme that targeted over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors. Using fake social media profiles, they lured their victims into sharing sexually explicit images, which were then used for blackmail.
According to the BBC, the Ogoshi brothers threatened to expose the compromising images to the victims’ families, friends, and classmates unless they paid money via online cash apps. Tragically, Jordan DeMay, from Marquette, Michigan, succumbed to the pressure and took his own life on March 22, 2022, highlighting the devastating consequences of online exploitation.
The U.S. government charged the Ogoshi brothers, along with another Nigerian, Ezekiel Robert, in November 2022. The brothers were extradited to the U.S. in August 2023 and pleaded guilty in April. Robert remains in Nigeria, where he is appealing an extradition order issued by a Nigerian court in March 2023.
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland commented on the case, stating, “Today’s sentencing of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi sends a clear message. These individuals sexually exploited and extorted over 100 victims, including minors, leading to the tragic death of a 17-year-old student. Their sentences should serve as a warning that those who commit such heinous crimes cannot evade accountability by hiding behind their phones and computers.”
The sextortion scheme involved the brothers purchasing hacked social media accounts to impersonate young women. They used these fake profiles to contact their victims, collecting personal information about their lives and families. The brothers then coerced the victims into sending explicit images, which they manipulated into compromising collages.
One victim, Jordan DeMay, was extorted for hundreds of dollars. Despite his desperate pleas for the harassment to stop warning that he might take his own life, the brothers coldly responded, “Good. Do that fast, or I’ll make you do it.” Heartbreakingly, Jordan died shortly after.
During the trial, the defense argued that the brothers were influenced by drug abuse, but federal prosecutors maintained their responsibility for the crimes. The court’s ruling highlighted the brothers’ “callous disregard for life,” noting that they continued exploiting other victims even after Jordan’s death.
In addition to their prison terms, both Samuel and Samson Ogoshi will face five years of supervised release. This case has drawn attention to the growing threat of online sexual exploitation and the urgent need for stronger 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.