MARQUETTE, Mich. — Two Nigerian brothers who were extradited to the U.S. pleaded not guilty to allegedly sexually extorting a teenage boy in Michigan, authorities said.
On Thursday, 22-year-old Samuel Ogoshi, and 20-year-old Samson Ogoshi of Lagos, Nigeria entered the not guilty pleas during their arraignment in US. District Court in Marquette, Michigan, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Officials said a detention hearing for the Ogoshi brothers has been scheduled for Wednesday.
The Ogoshis were indicted in May and extradited to the U.S. on Sunday.
Prosecutors accused the Ogoshis of operating an international sextortion ring from Nigeria. The two allegedly posed as a woman, which resulted in the suicide of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay of Marquette on March 25, 2022, according to the Associated Press.
Sexual extortion, also known as “sextortion,” typically involves victims being misled into sending explicit photos over the internet, then threatening to make the images public if the victim doesn’t give into the sextortionist’s demands, usually money.
The Ogoshi’s each face one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors, conspiracy to distribute child sexual abuse images and conspiracy to commit stalking through the internet. Samuel Ogoshi also faces one charge of sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death, and one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor resulting in death.
More about the sextortion allegations and case can be found here.
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