Nigeria extradites two indicted for teenager’s death to US for sexual extortion

Nigeria has extradited two men to the United States to face charges after being indicted for international sexual extortion.

United States Department of Justice in a statement said the two Nigerians – Samuel Ogoshi, who is a 22-year-old, and Samson Ogoshi, a 20-year-old, were arrested and charged on request of the US in Lagos State, Nigeria.

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten said Samson and Samuel were indicted for sexually extorting numerous young men and teenage boys in the Western District of Michigan and across the United States.

Samuel Ogoshi was also charged with causing the death of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, of Marquette, Michigan, who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2022.

“Sextortion is a horrible crime,” said Totten. “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 said it is pleasing to see how swiftly their extradition was achieved and commended the FBI and the Nigerian law enforcement partners for their unyielding work to secure justice in this international sexual exploitation investigation.

Department of Justice said Samson and Samuel will make an initial appearance on Monday afternoon at the federal courthouse in Grand Rapids at a time to be determined by the court.

Nigerian authorities arrested Samuel and Samson Ogoshi in Nigeria in January 2023, at the request of the United States.

Nigerian prosecutors managed the extradition proceedings, on behalf of the United States. On July 20, the Honorable Justice B.F.M. Nyako ordered both Ogoshis to be turned over to the United States to face the charges in the indictment.

On August 3, B.E. Jedy Agba, the Solicitor-General of the Nigerian Federation, signed the final surrender order, authorizing the United States to bring the Ogoshis to West Michigan.

In May 2023, Samuel Ogoshi and Samson Ogoshi were charged in a four-count indictment: Count 1 charges Samuel Ogoshi with Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor Resulting in Death in association with the death of Jordan DeMay. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a statutory mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison.

Count 2 charges both men with Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit Minors by causing the minors to produce child pornographic images that the defendants then used to blackmail the minors.The charge carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.

Count 3 charges both men with Conspiracy to Distribute Child Pornography for sending the child pornography images to the minors, as well as their families and friends. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison.

Count 4 charges both men with Conspiracy to Commit Stalking Through the Internet for engaging in this sextortion scheme as it relates to both minors and young adults. The charge has a maximum penalty of five years in prison. All charges have provisions for fines, restitution, and supervised release after their release from prison.

Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan said financial sextortion is a global crisis that impacts teens in the United States and around the world.

“As this case demonstrates, the FBI is committed to working closely with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to prevent young men and women from becoming victims of this tragic crime.”