Men extradited to US for sextortion ring linked to teen’s death

(NewsNation) — Warning: This story discusses suicide and may be disturbing to some readers.

Two Nigerian men have been extradited to the U.S. to face charges connected to the death of a Michigan teen last year.

Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, of Lagos, Nigeria, are accused of sexually extorting multiple young men and teenage boys across the country, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said Sunday.

In Michigan, Samuel Ogoshi is also charged with causing the death of Jordan DeMay, who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2022.

The 17-year-old was a football star at Marquette Senior High School in Michigan. His parents say it took less than six hours from the initial interaction with scammers to the end of their son’s life.

DeMay took his own life after falling victim to a “sextortion” scheme that involved persuading young men to send explicit images of themselves and later demanding money to keep the pictures private.

“There was zero chance to interfere, interject or catch any of this,” DeMay’s father told NewsNation in June.

“You think, this will never happen to my kid. And in a broader perspective, you never think that you will lose your child over a senseless act like this,” DeMay’s mother added.

According to the indictment, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi bought hacked social media accounts and used the accounts to pose as women to lure people into sexual chats. After initiating conversations, court documents say Samuel and Samson Ogoshi researched information like where the person lived, went to school or worked and who their family and friends were while the chats continued.

After victims sent explicit images of themselves, prosecutors say Samuel and Samson Ogoshi created collages of the pictures alongside other pictures that sometimes included a victim’s family and friends. They are then accused of threatening to share the pictures unless the victims paid them. They allegedly tried to do this to more than 100 people.

Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi are charged with conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child pornography and conspiracy to commit stalking. Samuel Ogoshi is also charged with sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death. The extradition of a third defendant in the case, Ezekial Robert, is still pending.

The FBI says anyone who feels they are being exploited or the victim of a crime should report it by calling a local FBI field office, 800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov.

If you or someone you know needs help, resources or someone to talk to, you can find it at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website or by calling 800-273-8255. People are available to talk to 24/7.