Cybercrime Tragedy: Nigerian Hackers Extradited To America In Deadly S_extortion Plot After Conning US Football Star To Take His Own Life
In a rare and dramatic turn of events, two Nigerian men have been extradited to the United States to face charges in connection with a s_exual extortion scheme that authorities believe led to the tragic suicide of a 17-year-old Michigan high school student and football star.
Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and his younger brother Samson Ogoshi, 20, both hailing from Lagos, were transported to the U.S. on Sunday and are scheduled to appear in federal court in Grand Rapids on Monday afternoon, according to the Justice Department.
The brothers are indicted on four counts, including the s_exual exploitation of minors and the alleged role in the death of Jordan DeMay, who took his own life in March 2022 after being coerced into sending explicit photos by the defendants, who then threatened to expose them to his loved ones.
If convicted, Samuel could face a minimum sentence of 30 years in prison, while Samson faces a minimum of five years.
Last year, the FBI issued a cautionary alert about the growing occurrence of these schemes, frequently originating from West Africa, a region long plagued by cybercriminal activities.
How Nigerian Bothers Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, Took Advantage of US Teen
According to the indictment, the defendants employed various tactics to carry out their malicious scheme. They gained access to hacked social media accounts and assumed the identities of young women, specifically targeting teenage and young adult males.
Operating under the username “dani.robertts” on Instagram, they reached out to Jordan DeMay shortly before his tragic death.
Once engaged in chat conversations, the defendants utilized the internet to gather personal information about their victims, including home addresses, schools, family members, and friends.
As outlined in the indictment, the defendants then manipulated their victims, leveraging their assumed female personas, to produce and send explicit images of themselves.
Subsequently, the defendants compiled collages that combined these explicit images with other pictures sourced from social media, including images depicting the victims’ schools, family, and friends.
With these collages in hand, the defendants resorted to threats, intending to expose them on social media platforms and share them with the victims’ family, friends, and classmates unless a ransom was paid.
The grand jury indictment accuses the defendants of engaging in this extortion and attempted extortion of over 100 individuals.
The heartbreaking story of Jordan DeMay, a promising senior student at Marquette Senior High School, adds a devastating dimension to this case.
Known for his active participation in football and basketball, Jordan tragically took his own life just six hours after being targeted for money, as recounted by his grieving parents.
In an attempt to shed light on the torment their son endured, Jordan’s parents shared excerpts of the text conversations between him and the blackmailers.
One chilling message read,
“I have screenshot all ur followers and tags can send this nudes to everyone and also send your nudes to your Family and friends Until it goes viral… All you’ve to do is to cooperate with me and I won’t expose you Are you gonna cooperate with me…Just pay me right now…And I won’t expose you.”
Demanding a sum of $1,000, the blackmailers left Jordan with no choice but to send $300. In a desperate plea, Jordan messaged them, revealing his state of mind:
“I’m kms rn [killing myself right now]. Bc of you.”
Shockingly, the Nigerian brothers allegedly responded with callousness, stating,
“Good…Do that fast…Or I’ll make you do it…I swear to God.”