Five plead guilty in 'sextortion' case tied to U.P. teen's suicide
Five Americans have pleaded guilty after federal authorities said they conspired with Nigerian extortionists in a scheme that targeted hundreds of boys and young men, including an Upper Peninsula homecoming king who committed suicide.
The conspirators would obtain nude images of their victims then coerce them into sending a payment under the threat of publicizing the pictures, a crime known as "sextortion."
“These individuals helped and profited from this awful, heartbreaking scheme and so they now will face the consequences,” said Andrew Birge, acting U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan.
The suspects used online payment systems to collect the proceeds and sent them to a Nigerian individual they referred to as "The Plug," according a U.S. Attorney General's Office press release. They would keep about 20% of the money, convert the rest to bitcoin, and send the bitcoin to The Plug in Nigeria, who kept a portion and then sent the remainder to the U.S. conspirators, federal officials said.
Authorities said the extortionists targeted more than 100 victims, including Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old high school student from Marquette, who committed suicide after being exploited.
All five American suspects have pleaded guilty in the case, Birge said, with the last two entering pleas Wednesday. They are:
- Densimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, Alabama
- Kendall Ormond London, 32, of Lithonia, Georgia
- Brian Keith Coldmon Jr., 30, of Peachtree Corners, Georgia
- Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, of McDonough, Georgia
- Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia
Conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Nigerian brothers Samson and Samuel Ogoshi were sentenced in November to 17½ years in prison. They had previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually exploit minors. A third man, Ezekiel Robert of Lagos, is appealing an extradition order in Nigeria.
“Today's guilty plea by the defendants serves as a strong reminder to anyone involved in sextortion or money laundering schemes," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Michigan Division, in a statement. "The FBI remains committed to protecting the American public and will continue to prioritize dismantling criminal networks that exploit our most vulnerable citizens.”
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said it has seen an overwhelming increase in reports of sextortion. According to a 2024 report, the NCMEC received 26,718 reports of financial sextortion in 2023, up from 10,731 the year prior.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com