Trial will begin on Monday for two Nigerian brothers, Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi, who were recently extradited to the U.S. after they were indicted for sexually extorting teenage boys in Michigan and across the country.
Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, from Lagos, are due to be arraigned at the federal courthouse in Grand Rapids, U.S. Attorney Mark Totten said.
They are accused of running an international sextortion ring in which they posed as women and which resulted in the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay of Marquette, in the Upper Peninsula, from a self-inflicted gunshot on March 25, 2022.
The two men each face single counts of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child pornography and conspiracy to commit stalking through the internet.
Samuel Ogoshi also faces single charges of sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death.
The men were indicted in May. In Nigeria, the Ogoshis were arrested in February 2023 in Ojo area of Lagos by EFCC operatives. Their third accomplice Ezekiel Ejemeh Robert was picked up in Nasarawa state.
The EFCC began their extradition proceedings in May. The trio allegedly hacked some social media accounts, posing to be young attractive women to entice unsuspecting victims to send their sexually explicit photographs.
These pictures were then used in blackmailing the victims, thereby forcing them into making huge financial payments.
Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading victims to send explicit photos online then threatening to make the images public if the victim doesn´t pay money or engage in sexual favours. “Sextortion is a horrible crime,” Totten said in a news release.
“To those who commit these crimes: we will pursue you around the world. And to those who are victims: please know we stand ready to help you.” Totten didn’t say how many other victims there might be.
The news release didn’t say whether the Ogoshis are related. And it was silent on their accomplice Ezekiel Ejemeh Robert.
Online court records in the case didn’t show any attorneys for the Ogoshis who might comment on the allegations against them.
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