$2m sextortion: Nigerian risks 20 years in US jail

$2m sextortion: Nigerian risks 20 years in US jail

A 34-year-old Nigerian, Olamide Shanu risks up to 20 years in prison in the United States, where he is being prosecuted for his involvement in a $2 million sextortion and romance scam scheme.

Acting United States Attorney Justin Whatcott of the District of Idaho made the announcement on Thursday, September 18.

The US Attorney disclosed that Shanu made his initial appearance on Wednesday, September 17 before US Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham.

Shanu is charged in an eight-count indictment with wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit interstate communications with intent to extort and cyberstalking, conspiracy to commit extortion, money laundering conspiracy, extortion, interstate communications with intent to commit extortion, and cyberstalking.

If convicted of the charges, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison in the United States and restitution for the losses incurred by the victims of the scheme.

Whatcott further disclosed that authorities in London, United Kingdom arrested Shanu on November 7, 2023, based on the indictment filed in the District of Idaho.

The National Extradition Unit of the UK’s National Crime Agency facilitated Shanu’s extradition to the US.

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He has remained incarcerated since the arrest.

According to the indictment, Shanu and his conspirators posed as females on social media and persuaded their victims, typically males, to send sexual images of themselves.

The indictment alleges that once the victims sent the explicit images, the conspirators threatened to send the explicit images to the victims’ friends and families unless the victim paid money.

It further alleges that the conspirators engaged in this extortion of numerous victims across the US, including a college student in Idaho.

The indictment alleges that the conspirators also perpetrated, among other cyber-enabled schemes, a romance scam scheme.

Proceeds from the schemes were allegedly laundered using peer-to-peer payment applications and several cryptocurrency wallet addresses before being transferred to the scheme’s perpetrators in Nigeria.

Shanu allegedly fraudulently obtained at least $2 million from the fraud schemes.

An indictment is merely an allegation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

$2m sextortion: Nigerian risks 20 years in US jail