Alleged members of a global sextortion operation that targeted more than 100 victims and led to the death of a 17-year-old boy were extradited to the United States on Sunday to face federal criminal charges, authorities said.
Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, both of Lagos, Nigeria, were arrested following a joint investigation by the FBI and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and are now in federal custody in Michigan, US Attorney Mark Totten said in a news release.
Both men were indicted in May by a federal grand jury on charges including conspiracy to sexually exploit minors and conspiracy to distribute child pornography, according to court records.
Samuel Ogoshi also faces a more serious charge of sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. That charge stems from an alleged online encounter that investigators say resulted in the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, who died by suicide after falling victim to a sextortion scam.
The FBI defines sextortion as an online scheme in which a perpetrator using a false identity solicits an explicit photo from an unsuspecting individual and then threatens to publicly release the image unless the victim provides payment.
It commonly “starts when young people believe they are communicating with someone their own age who is interested in a relationship or with someone who is offering something of value,” the FBI said.
