Two Nigerian brothers, Samuel Ogoshi (24) and Samson Ogoshi (21), were sentenced to 17 years and six months in prison on Thursday, September 5, 2024, by a federal judge in Michigan.
The brothers were found guilty of orchestrating a sextortion scheme that led to the suicide of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay from Marquette, Michigan, in March 2022.
The brothers lured Jordan by posing as a teenage girl through a hacked Instagram account with the username “dani.robertts”.
They solicited explicit photos and eventually blackmailed him for $1000. After receiving $300, they continued to threaten him with one threat reading, “I have screenshot all ur followers and tags can send this nudes to everyone and also send your nudes to your Family and friends…,” according to the indictment.
In a chilling exchange, after Jordan DeMay expressed his inability to pay and voiced his intention to take his own life, the brothers responded with one message reading, “good,” and another ominously stating, “Do fast… I’ll you do…I swear to God.”
Jordan DeMay took his life approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes after sending “Mother, I love you” to his mother around midnight. He was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at about 3:45 AM on March 25, 2022
Jordan’s mother, Jenn Buta, wept as she read a victim impact statement in court. “I am shattered to my core.”
Describing the unimaginable pain of losing her son, she said, “My son’s death has left me infuriated and trapped in grief.”
Jordan’s father, John DeMay, also testified, revealing that his family had to move to escape the memory of finding Jordan’s lifeless body in his room.
“I am haunted by the image of my son laying on his bed dead with a gunshot wound to his head,” he said.
This is the first successful U.S. prosecution of Nigerians for sextortion, a growing cybercrime linked to Nigeria. The Ogoshi brothers were extradited from Lagos in August 2023 after being indicted in November 2022. The scheme targeted over 100 victims across the U.S., including 13 minors.
Mark Totten, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, said of the sentencing, “The day when you could commit these crimes, rake in easy cash, destroy lives, and escape justice is gone.”
Both brothers expressed remorse in court with Samson Ogoshi apologizing to Jordan’s family.
“I’m sorry… We made a bad decision to make money, and I wish I could change that,” he said.
In addition to the Ogoshi brothers, another Nigerian man linked to Jordan’s case is currently fighting extradition. U.S. authorities, alongside Nigerian law enforcement, continue to crack down on sextortion schemes, which have led to numerous teenage suicides worldwide.
Professor Adedeji Oyenuga, a cyber-security expert from Lagos State University, hopes that the Ogoshis’ sentencing will serve as a deterrent to others. “The case has already sent a bad signal,” he said. “It might not stop all criminals, but it will likely reduce the numbers.”
Jennifer Buta shared sadly in regards to the sentencing: “There’s no good outcome… I miss my son, and the mother of those men is probably missing her two sons as well now.”
“I would never have imagined that while I was asleep both of the defendants hid behind their screens and tortured Jordan for hours while he was alone,” Ms. Buta said, according to The A.P.
