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Five Americans have pleaded guilty to money laundering in connection with a Nigerian sextortion scheme that led to the suicide of a Michigan teenager. The individuals involved are Georgia residents Kendall Ormond London, 32; Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30; Jarell Daivon Williams, 31; and Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, as well as Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Alabama. They used online payment systems to collect proceeds from the sextortion scheme and sent the funds to a Nigerian individual they referred to as "The Plug," according to the Justice Department.
Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old from Michigan, was targeted by Nigerian brothers Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20. The brothers posed as a woman on Instagram using a hacked account and initiated a conversation with Jordan. They later blackmailed him into sending money, threatening to expose explicit images he had sent. The relentless pressure led Jordan to take his own life in March 2022.
The Ogoshi brothers were extradited to the United States in 2024 and sentenced to over 17 years in prison, along with five years of supervised release, for their roles in the sextortion scheme that not only caused Jordan’s death but also targeted more than 100 other victims.
"It’s another layer of justice," said John DeMay, Jordan’s father, in response to the guilty pleas of the five Americans involved in money laundering. "It’s rewarding in a sense that our country and the FBI are taking this seriously and closing the gaps on each leg of this crime."
Sextortion is a growing social media crime trend where perpetrators coerce minors into sending explicit images or money. The FBI reported over 13,000 cases of online financial sextortion involving at least 12,600 victims between October 2021 and March 2023. In Jordan’s case, the Ogoshi brothers posed as romantic interests, lured young men into sending nude photos, and then threatened to expose the images unless they paid money.
On the night Jordan began communicating with the fake Instagram account, he sent an explicit photo, believing he was talking to a woman. Samuel Ogoshi threatened to make the image "viral" unless Jordan sent money. Jordan complied, but the demands escalated, with Samuel Ogoshi pressuring him for more money. The exchange lasted hours until Jordan expressed his intention to end his life. Samuel Ogoshi responded, "Good. Do that fast. Or I’ll make you do it. I swear to God."
The Ogoshi brothers directed victims to send money through platforms like Apple Pay, Cash App, and Zelle to accounts controlled by the American money launderers. These individuals kept about 20% of the funds, converted the rest to Bitcoin, and sent it to "The Plug" in Nigeria, who then distributed a portion to the Ogoshi brothers.
Acting U.S. Attorney Birge stated that the Americans who profited from this "awful, heartbreaking scheme" will now face the consequences of their actions. The conspiracy offense carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, with sentences to be determined based on federal guidelines and individual circumstances.
John DeMay has since turned his grief into advocacy, traveling across the country and the world to educate people about sextortion and promote federal legislation aimed at protecting minors online. "Unfortunately, there are still a lot of sextortion cases across the country," he said. "It’s still happening every day."
The FBI has noted that the average age of sextortion victims is between 14 and 17, though any child can be targeted. Offenders often originate from African and Southeast Asian countries. Between October 2021 and March 2023, the FBI reported a 20% increase in sextortion incidents involving minors, with at least 20 suicides linked to these cases.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has launched a free service called "Take it Down" to help victims remove explicit images from the internet or stop their distribution. The tool can be accessed at https://takeitdown.ncmec.org.
DeMay is also a supporter of the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which aims to protect minors online. The bill, introduced by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), is expected to be reintroduced this year after failing to reach the House floor for a vote last year.
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