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After Michigan teen's suicide, Nigerian brothers plead guilty to planning deadly sextortion scheme

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After Michigan teen's suicide, Nigerian brothers plead guilty to planning deadly sextortion scheme

This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Two Nigerian brothers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiring to sexually exploit teenage boys through sexual extortion, or “sextortion,” two years after one such scheme led to a Michigan teenager’s suicide.

Jordan DeMay was 17 years old when Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and his brother, Samson Ogoshi, 20, both of Nigeria, posed as a woman on Instagram using a hacked account and struck up a conversation with the teenager, ultimately blackmailing him into sending money and threatening him for more until he took his own life in March 2022.

“I don’t know that there’s any amount of justice good enough for what these two men did to Jordan,” Jordan’s father, John DeMay, told Fox News Digital. “But I do believe that there is justice in this plea deal … to some degree, I guess. But overall, it’s just emotional. It’s hard to believe that we’re even in this situation.”

FATHER OF TEEN SEXTORTION VICTIM WARNS OF ‘ALARMING’ FBI REPORT

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Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiring to extort minors. (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission)

He continued: “I hope these guilty pleas also bring a small measure of relief to the family of Jordan DeMay, who died as a result of this crime. Of course, the job is not done. The Ogoshi brothers await sentencing later this year, and we are still pursuing the extradition of the third defendant, Ezekiel Robert.”

MICHIGAN FAMILY SOUNDS ALARM ON SON’S ‘SEXTORTION’ SUICIDE AFTER ARRESTS OF 3 NIGERIAN MEN

The Ogoshi brothers face a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years for each charge of conspiracy to sexually exploit minors. An indictment against the two brothers alleged they were involved in hundreds of similar schemes – many involving minors.

“We’re so fortunate to even be here. So many families have open cases. Some don’t have cases at all,” John DeMay said. “Some are still wondering what happened to their loved ones, and we’re really fortunate enough to be just shy of Jordan’s two year anniversary and having guilty pleas and suspects extradited from another country. So it’s pretty it’s pretty colossal that that this is even happening.”

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Jordan DeMay, 17, died by suicide after becoming the victim of a sextortion scheme. (Handout)

DeMay added that he feels both happy and sad, and “like it’s kind of the beginning of the end of this phase.”

“But I’m extremely pleased with the work that was done,” he said.

Robert, the third suspect charged in connection with the sextortion plot that led to Jodan’s death, is awaiting extradition to the United States.

FBI WARNS TEEN BOYS INCREASINGLY TARGETED IN ONLINE ‘SEXTORTION’ SCHEMES

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The same night the Ogoshis started communicating with Jodan through Instagram, the teenager sent an explicit photo of himself to the account that he thought belonged to a woman. Samuel Ogoshi threatened to expose it and make it go “viral” online if Jordan did not immediately send money, prosecutors said. Jordan complied and sent the suspect money, but the crime only escalated from there as Ogoshi demanded more and more money from the 17-year-old.

Jordan DeMay began chatting with someone he thought was a woman on Instagram under the username “dani.robertts.” (Handout)

The exchange went on for hours on a single night until Jordan told Ogoshi that he was going to kill himself.

“Good,” he wrote. “Do that fast. Or I’ll make you do it. I swear to God.”

WARNING SIGNS OF SUICIDE: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT PREVENTION, RED FLAGS AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE

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U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan said in a Wednesday statement that the Ogoshis’ “guilty pleas represent an extraordinary success in the prosecution of international sextortion.”

Between October 2021 and March 2023, the majority of online financial extortion victims were boys like Jordan DeMay. (Handout)

“These convictions will send a message to criminals in Nigeria and every corner of the globe: working with our partners both here and overseas, we can find you and we can bring you to justice,” Totten said.

Sextortion is a social media crime trend in which bad actors entice or solicit a minor to engage in sexual acts or send blackmail money, according to the FBI, which received more than 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion involving at least 12,600 victims between October 2021 and March 2023.

GROWING ‘SEXTORTION’ TREND TRICKS BOYS INTO SENDING EXPLICIT IMAGES THROUGH GAMING SITES, EXTORTED FOR MONEY

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The suspects in Jordan’s death were arrested for allegedly hacking Instagram accounts and sexually extorting, or “sextorting,” more than 100 young men online. (Handout)

The average age of sextortion victims is between 14 and 17 years old, the FBI said in a press release earlier this year, but the agency noted that any child can become a victim. Offenders of financially motivated sextortion typically originate from African and Southeast Asian countries, according to the FBI. The FBI also saw a 20% increase in sextortion incidents involving minors between October 2022 and March 2023.

Sextortion can lead to suicide and self-harm. Between October 2021 and March 2023, the majority of online financial extortion victims were boys. These reports involved at least 20 suicides, the FBI said. 

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has created a free service called “Take it Down,” which is meant to help victims of sextortion erase explicit images of victims or get bad actors to stop sharing them online. The tool can be accessed at https://takeitdown.ncmec.org.

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Midwest

‘Squad’ member claims State of the Union guest was arrested

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‘Squad’ member claims State of the Union guest was arrested

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Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., says her guest at President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address was forcibly removed and arrested by Capitol Police on Tuesday night.

Omar cited “reports” claiming that software engineer Aliya Rahman was “aggressively handled” as she was forcibly removed from the chamber during Trump’s speech. Omar invited Rahman after she had an altercation with federal agents in Minnesota during “Operation Metro Surge” in January.

“My guest, Aliya Rahman, stood up silently in the gallery during the president’s speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing. For that, she was forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her injured shoulders and ultimately charged with ‘Unlawful Conduct,’” Omar wrote in a statement.

“Reports indicate she was aggressively handled until someone intervened to secure medical attention. She was taken to George Washington University Hospital for treatment and later booked at the United States Capitol Police headquarters,” she continued.

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Rep. Ilhan Omar says her guest to Trump’s State of the Union address was arrested. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images)

“The heavy-handed response to a peaceful guest sends a chilling message about the state of our democracy. I am calling for a full explanation of why this arrest occurred,” she added.

Fox News reached out to Capitol Police, but they did not immediately respond.

The charge Omar said Rahman faces exposes her to a possible sentence of six months in prison and a fine of up to $500.

“There are only two things you can do at the State of the Union, and they are sit down and stand up,” Rahman told Democracy Now. “I was arrested for standing up.”

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ILHAN OMAR DOESN’T HAVE ANY REGRETS FOR HER ”UNAVOIDABLE’ OUTBURST AT STATE OF THE UNION

Aliya Rahman, a guest of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D- MN, and a Minneapolis resident who was detained by DHS agents, is escorted from the chamber as Trump delivers his State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The incident comes after Trump deployed border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis last month after several violent and even deadly interactions between anti-ICE agitators and federal law enforcement.

Homan announced the end of “Operation Metro Surge” earlier this month, saying it was no longer necessary thanks to new cooperation from local law enforcement.

“As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said Feb. 12.

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White House border czar Tom Homan attends a press conference in Minneapolis, Minn., Jan. 29, 2026. (Shannon Stapleton/Reuters)

Homan clarified that a “small footprint of personnel” would remain for a period of time, and he also remains in Minnesota monitoring the drawdown process.

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“Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said at the time.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

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Detroit, MI

Detroit’s Sloppy Chops restaurateur Mike Brown fatally shot, 2 injured

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Detroit’s Sloppy Chops restaurateur Mike Brown fatally shot, 2 injured


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  • Detroit restaurateur Michael “Mike B.” Brown was fatally shot early Saturday morning in a triple shooting.
  • The incident occurred outside a cocktail bar on the city’s west side, and police are seeking information.
  • Brown was a prominent figure in Detroit’s hospitality scene, known for his “Sloppy” brand restaurants.
  • His establishments were seen as significant in the rise of new Black-owned businesses in the city.

Detroit restaurateur and nightlife mainstay Michael “Mike B.” Brown was fatally shot early Saturday morning on the city’s west side, a violent incident that also left two other people injured and sent shockwaves through Detroit’s hospitality and entertainment communities.

According to Detroit police, the shooting occurred outside Suite 100, a cocktail bar on Schaefer Highway near Puritan Avenue. Investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward. As of Sunday afternoon, authorities had not announced any suspects or arrests.

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“At approximately 4:30 a.m., Saturday, there was a triple shooting that occurred at 15789 Schaefer,” Detroit Police Department (DPD) media relations manager Jasmin Barmore wrote in an official statement Sunday afternoon. “Two of the vicims were found in front of the location and the third across the street from the location. Unfortunately, the victim found across the street from the location, Mikey Brown, succumbed to his injuries.

“The Detroit Police Department extends their condolences to the family and is asking the community for assistance with this incident. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to please contact DPD’s homicide unit or, they can submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers or Detroit Rewards TV.”

Brown, 52, had spent decades building a name for himself across Detroit’s club and restaurant circuits, evolving from party promoter to business owner and, in recent years, a culinary entrepreneur with expanding ambitions. His death comes at a moment when he had been working to grow his “Sloppy” restaurant brand – a move that aligned with the rise of new Black-owned establishments reshaping the city’s dining landscape.

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His first major restaurant venture, Sloppy Chops, opened in 2020 on West McNichols just off the Lodge Freeway. The steakhouse featured high-end cuts like ribeyes and tomahawks, but it quickly drew wide attention for its low-cost lamb chop specials – a dish with a fervent local following and long-standing ties to the city’s food culture.

A year later, Brown launched Sloppy Crab, later renamed the Crab Sports Bar, on East Jefferson Avenue near the Renaissance Center. The seafood spot mixed Detroiters’ love for crab dishes with the energetic, nightlife-forward atmosphere Brown had refined during his years in the entertainment scene. Occasional cover charges, signature strong cocktails and celebrity drop-ins helped make the venue one of downtown’s most animated destinations, placing it alongside longstanding nightlife pillars such as Floods Bar & Grille and Sweetwater Tavern.

Both restaurants emerged during a period when Detroiters were increasingly vocal about who new development served. Sloppy Crab’s proximity to the riverfront offered an answer to residents who wondered where Black diners fit into the city’s transforming downtown, while Sloppy Chops demonstrated that restaurants with the energy and polish of downtown destinations could thrive in the neighborhoods as well.

As of Sunday afternoon, more than 1,000 comments expressing sadness and shock had flooded a pinned post on Brown’s Instagram page, along with a number of posts on his Facebook profile.

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On her own page, Darralynn Hutson, an award-winning journalist, author, documentarian and media strategist who has provided content to a host of media outlets including the Detroit Free Press, shared photos of herself with Brown.

“I had the opportunity to interview Mike a few years ago for a feature in Food & Wine and I remember how reluctant he was about sitting down to talk,” Hutson recalled. “Interviews weren’t his thing – he was much more comfortable building than explaining. I had to call him more than 20 times to set up the interview. He didn’t care about Food & Wine. But once we ate and got into conversation, what came out was his commitment to creating something for his Detroit.”

Brown’s influence stretched far beyond his menus. His establishments became recognizable gathering places, and his presence – familiar from downtown corridors to Dexter Avenue – made him a significant cultural figure in Detroit’s nightlife and, later, its dining renaissance.

His death leaves both industries mourning a personality whose ambitions were still growing, and whose imprint on the city’s social fabric remains unmistakable.





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Milwaukee, WI

Four new community-powered fridges open on Milwaukee’s North Side

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Four new community-powered fridges open on Milwaukee’s North Side


Community members and city leaders celebrated the opening of four new community-powered fridges on the North Side of Milwaukee. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Friday, Feb. 27, at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, 3624 W. North Ave., to mark the occasion. 

The effort to fight food scarcity by opening community-powered fridges comes after several grocery stores closed in the area, creating a food desert.

Ald. Russell W. Stamper, II, emceed the ribbon cutting ceremony for the grand opening of four new community-powered fridges.


District 15 Ald. Russell W. Stamper II, who saw several grocery stores in his district close over the past few years, served as the event’s emcee. 

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“We could either complain about the problem, or we could come together to find a solution,” Stamper said.

People fill up the community-powered fridge with fresh produce.


In July 2025, a Pick ‘n Save on the North Side closed, prompting the opening of a community-powered fridge at Tricklebee Café in the Sherman Park and Uptown area. Since then, several other grocery stores have closed in the area.

This led Stamper, FEED MKE, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and One MKE to open four more community-powered fridges.

Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talks about opening the first community-powered fridge at her cafe.


Christie Melby-Gibbons, executive director of Tricklebee Café, talked about the organization’s community-powered fridge. About a week ago, the fridge was empty for the first time since its launch, so staff turned to their online community for support. 

“Within 20 minutes, a woman came in with bags of food and filled the fridge for less than $100,” Melby-Gibbons said.

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Danell Cross (right), executive director at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, Metcalfe Park resident Farina Brooks (left), and other attendees applaud during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.


The community-powered fridge network is run by residents on a take-what-you-need, leave-what-you-can model. Taking a grassroots approach to solving food insecurity in the area, community members provide fresh produce and other healthy food options to ensure that their neighbors have access to nutritious foods.

Residents line up to fill the community-powered fridge with fresh produce.


“Everybody deserves to eat. I can’t go to sleep at night knowing my neighbors are hungry,” said Melody McCurtis, deputy director of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.

Melody McCurtis, deputy director at Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, talks about the importance of everyone having access to fresh, healthy food.


Here’s a list of all the community-powered fridges:

Metcalfe Park Community Bridges

3624 W. North Ave.

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Rooted & Rising- Washington Park

3940 W. Lisbon Ave.

Sherman Park Community Association

3526 W. Fond du Lac Ave.


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Dominican Center

2470 W. Locust St.

Tricklebee Café

4424 W. North Ave.


Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.

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This article first appeared on Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.





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