The Marquette Sheriff’s Department is working with the FBI to investigate an online sex extortion ring tied to three men in Nigeria.
Officials said the men used hacked instagram accounts to coerce victims into sharing sexually explicit photos. Then, they threatened to publicly expose the photos, unless victims paid money.
The men have targeted over 100 minors and adults, including 17-year-old Jordan DeMay from Marquette, who took his own life as a result of their crimes.
DeMay could not provide the full $1000 amount the scammers requested, and that same day, he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Jennifer DeMay said when she found out her son was a victim of sextortion, there was never a hesitation to share his story.
“Our family has forever been changed by this heinous crime and our objective is to prevent another individual from being victimized," DeMay said. "Kids, teenagers, young adults, and even adults can be a target of sextortion. “
The suspects, Samuel Ogoshi, 22, Samson Ogoshi, 20, and Ezekiel Ejehem Robert, 19, are in the process of being extradited.
“Make no mistake, charges this type brought against subjects outside of the United States are rare. Securing extradition to these subjects is even more rare,” said FBI agent James Tarasca.
Officials say an international partnership with Nigerian law enforcement was crucial to finding and extraditing the suspects. They are expected to be charged with multiple felonies, some of which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.