by
Jordan DeMay (Facebook)
Five men from Georgia and Alabama have been charged in Michigan for laundering money for a Nigerian sextortion scheme that led to the suicide of a high school student in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Grand Rapids announced Friday.
In March 2022, Jordan DeMay, 17, of Marquette, was contacted by Nigerian men posing as a female on Instagram.
Federal authorites say they convinced DeMay to send nude pictures of himself, then blackmailed him for money, threatening to send those photos to people he knew.
DeMay sent $300, but the men continued to pressure him for more. He ended up killing himself at his home.
In November 2022, federal authorities charged three Nigerian nationals in the sextortion scheme that resulted in the death of DeMay. The Nigerians had targed more than 100 other victims, authorities said.
Two of the three Nigerian defendants, Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 22, of Lagos, Nigeria, were extradited to the United States in August 2023 and pled guilty in April 2024. They are scheduled for sentencing in Marquette on Sept. 5.
The indictment unsealed Friday charges the five Americans with laundering money for the Nigerians.
Under the scheme, the Nigerians extorted money and directed people to send funds through various cash applications controlled by the U.S. money launderers.
The launders would keep a portion of the victims’ funds – typically 20 percent – and then convert the rest into bitcoin, authorities said.. The launderers would then send the bitcoin to an unindicted Nigerian co-conspirator known as “The Plug.”
The Plug would keep a portion of the bitcoin funds and send the remainder to Samuel Ogoshi, Samson Ogoshi, Ezekiel Robert, and other sextortionists.
The indictment alleges that the U.S.-based defendants laundered at least $178,658 in funds in the sextortion scheme.
The American defendants are:
- Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, Stone Mountain, Georgia
- Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, McDonough, Georgia
- Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 30, Huntsville, Alabama
- Kendall Ormond London, Jr., 32, Lithonia, Georgia
- Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30, Stone Mountain, Georgia.
“Every day Americans fall victim to financial scams, including sextortion, romance scams, and consumer fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten in a statement. “Senior citizens, children, and teenagers are especially vulnerable. The result of these crimes can be devastating, as the death of Jordan DeMay makes painfully clear. Today’s charges send a loud and clear message that we will chase down everyone who enables these crimes, including the U.S.-based money launderers.”
