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The Federal Bureau of Investigation announces new charges have been filed against multiple defendants accused in a money laundering and sextortion scheme. On Friday the FBI, with the District Court of Western Michigan Attorney Mark Totten, announced multiple new defendants have been charged in a sextortion case that led to a Marquette teenager committing suicide in 2022.
Earlier in the year two defendants in the case, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi pleaded guilty to charges of sexploitation as a part of a plea deal that dropped other charges for their cooperation on the case. The U.S. District Court will sentence both the Ogoshi in September.
In a separate but related case, Totten has charged five United States citizens, Johnathon Green, 32, Jerele Williams, 31, Kendall London Jr., 32, Bryan Holdman Jr., 30, from Georgia, and , Densome Robinson, 30 of Alabama, each with a single count of money laundering.
The state alleges that individually these men would receive the payment from a victim after a sextortion-ist blackmailed them and prompted the victim to wire funds to typically a cash app service. The launder would then take about 20 percent of the transaction before sending the funds to Nigeria normally using a cryptocurrency. Between the case’s 100-plus victims, Totten says, the men laundered nearly 180,000 dollars.
The Department of Justice, FBI, and our other federal partners are 100 percent committed to doing everything we can to protect Americans from these foreign-based criminal schemes. Whether it’s sextortion, romance schemes, some type of consumer fraud, or something else. Disrupting these criminal networks means bringing to justice the people of the United States who facilitate these crimes. One message from today’s announcement is clear if you are in the money laundering business. We will track you down, and we will hold you accountable. – Mark Totten, U.S. District Attorney of Western Michigan
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has seen a rise in sextortion cases in recent years, especially as technology continues to advance. And nefarious groups can more easily conceal their locations and identities. District Attorney Totten and the special agent in charge of Michigan Shea Gibson encourage parents to speak with their kids about the potential online dangers.
Our special agents and support staff are working around the clock to disrupt those groups that target our community. We will pursue anyone who violates the law, including those bad actors who launder money and participate in sextortion schemes. – Shea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of Michigan, Federal Bureau of Investigation
To report information for a suspected crime to the Federal Bureau of Investigation please call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Or report a tip online at tips dot fbi.gov.
