2 Nigerian men convicted in extortion operation that led to death of Marquette teen

MARQUETTE, Michigan (WNEM) – Two Nigerian men have been convicted in the sextortion scandal that led to the suicide of a Michigan teenager.

In March 2022, 17-year-old Jordan DeMay of Marquette died after brothers Samuel and Sampson Ogoshi posed as young women on social media. They encouraged teenage boys and young men like DeMay to send sexually explicit images. They then blackmailed their victims for money and threatened to send the images to their friends, family, and classmates.

The brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sexually exploit minors. They were sentenced to 17 ½ years.

After the hearing, Mark Totten, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, explained why this case is groundbreaking.

Totten called Thursday, September 5, a very important day.

“It sends a message to every criminal, or potential criminal, around the world that wherever they are, we will hunt them down and hold them accountable,” he said.

Totten was accompanied by Jordan DeMay’s mother, father and stepmother outside the federal courthouse in Marquette.

Jordan committed suicide after becoming a victim of the sextortion incident involving the Ogoshi brothers.

Marquette County investigators believe the popular high school senior sent nude photos of himself via Instagram in exchange for the photos being sent to him. He thought he was talking to a teenage girl, but it was a set-up.

The person on the other end demanded that DeMay send $1,000 or the photos would go to family and friends. But DeMay could only come up with $300. A few hours later, he committed suicide.

“Samuel and Sampson Ogoshi were part of a scheme that even encouraged Jordan DeMay to commit suicide when he could no longer give them money,” Totten said.

According to court documents, this is the first time Nigerian nationals have been extradited to the US to face trial as part of an extortion operation.

“I think there has been a sense for a long time in some of these other countries that you can commit these crimes and escape justice altogether. That you can prey on victims, that you can pretend to be someone you’re not, that you can make demands for money, that you can encourage people to take their lives and that you can be essentially immune to justice. What happened today makes it very clear that if that day existed in the past, it doesn’t exist anymore,” Totten said.

As part of their victim impact statements, DeMay’s relatives spoke in court Thursday. They told the suspects they stole more than just money; they stole the family’s happiness.

“I think today is for Jordan. And today is for our community, and all of these people who have spent their lives serving us and protecting us, they deserve this victory,” Jordan’s father John DeMay said.

In the courtroom, John DeMay looked at Samuel Ogoshi and said, “Bye. Enjoy your miserable life.”

Jordan’s mother, Jennifer Buta, told the court that her son was her favorite person in the world, and that all this evil had taken him away from her. Afterwards, she thanked the community for all the support over the past two and a half years.

“I also want to thank everyone, including the media, for sharing the story and getting it out there. Because with your help, getting our voices out there and sharing Jordan’s story, we are making a difference. And he will never be forgotten. And every day I know that his life and story is saving another life,” Buta said.

Totten wants parents to remember the story as a cautionary tale.

“When we give our children a mobile phone, we potentially connect them to criminal networks around the world. Our mobile phones do amazing things, but we have to be careful,” Totten said.

A third Nigerian, Ezekiel Robert, is also charged in the sextortion scheme that resulted in the death of Jordan DeMay. A Nigerian court has ordered Robert to be extradited to the U.S. He has appealed that decision and the case is now before Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

As detailed in their plea agreements, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi engaged in a scheme to sexually exploit more than 100 victims, including at least 11 identified minor victims, while living in Nigeria.

Totten also released the federal indictment in a separate case against five defendants accused of facilitating the sextortion scheme.

The men from Georgia and one from Alabama are accused of managing designated financial accounts for the scheme.

Prosecutors say they kept some of the victims’ money and exchanged the rest for bitcoins, which they would send to an unindicted Nigerian accomplice, who would then send it to the sextortionists.

The five are accused of laundering more than $178,000. They are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

A arraignment will be held in Grand Rapids in the coming weeks.

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