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Michigan football player’s Nigerian scammers pay price for teen's sextortion suicide

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Michigan football player’s Nigerian scammers pay price for teen's sextortion suicide

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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).

A Michigan judge on Thursday sentenced Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi to serve 17½ years in prison for their respective roles in a sextortion scheme that victimized 100 individuals and led to Michigan teenager Jordan DeMay’s suicide in 2022.

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“I think, at the end of the day, this case is a testament to what we can do as a country and put some validity to what’s really happening online to young people,” Jordan’s father, John DeMay, told Fox News Digital. “It shows people that [sextortion] is real. I think that’s the most important part of the sentence. That was the last piece of this puzzle … that says, ‘Hey, this is a legitimate claim.’”

U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker handed down the decision Thursday morning, marking the first time in the nation’s history that Nigerian sextortion scammers have been extradited to the United States and sentenced to prison, the FBI confirmed to Fox News Digital.

AFTER MICHIGAN TEEN’S SUICIDE, NIGERIAN BROTHERS PLEAD GUILTY TO PLANNING DEADLY SEXTORTION SCHEME

“Today’s sentencing of Samuel and Samson Ogoshi sends a thundering message,” U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan said in a statement Thursday. “To criminals who commit these schemes: You are not immune from justice. We will track you down and hold you accountable, even if we have to go half-way around the world to do so. The day when you could commit these crimes, rake in easy cash, destroy lives, and escape justice is gone.”

Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi were sentenced for conspiring to extort minors. (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission)

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Sextortion is a social media crime trend in which bad actors trick victims, many of them minors, to engage in sexual acts or send blackmail money, according to the FBI.

Totten pleaded with parents, teenagers and “everyone who uses a cellphone” to “please be careful.”

“These devices can connect you to criminal networks around the world.”

— U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan

“Don’t assume people are who they say they are,” Totten added. “Don’t share compromising images. And if you’re a victim, please reach out. There’s help, and law enforcement stands ready.”

Jordan DeMay was 17 years old in March 2022, when Samuel Ogoshi, now 24, and Samson Ogoshi, 21, both of Lagos, Nigeria, worked together to pose as a woman on Instagram using a hacked account and strike 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.

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

John DeMay is sounding the alarm about a crime called “sextortion” after his 17-year-old son, Jordan DeMay, died by suicide after becoming the victim of a sextortion scheme. (handout)

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 him money, but the crime only escalated from there as Ogoshi demanded more and more money from the 17-year-old.

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

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

NIGERIAN MEN TO FACE US JUSTICE IN SEXTORTION SCHEME THAT LED TO TEEN’S SUICIDE

John DeMay also said he would tell Jordan “every single day” if he had “a chance” that threats from the sextortionist were not the end of his life. (handout)

The FBI received more than 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion involving at least 12,600 victims between October 2021 and March 2023.

They also targeted 100 victims, including at least 11 other minors, in similar schemes, according to the Justice Department.

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The DOJ said both perpetrators, who pleaded guilty to their crimes, purchased the hacked social media accounts they used to pose as young women on fake profiles that they utilized to catfish victims — or, in other words, make victims believe the fake accounts were real.

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

They then conducted extensive online research about the victims they targeted, going as far as finding out where they lived, what schools they attended, where they worked and the identities of their families and friends, all in an effort to have personal material to use against them.

Once the victim sent nude images, the Ogoshi brothers would create a collage of the victim’s sexually explicit photos and threaten to share them with the victim’s families, friends and across their schools unless the victim agreed to pay cash to stop them.

Sending cash, however, does not stop sextortion scams, according to experts familiar with the crime. Sending cash to scammers will only lead them to demand more and more from their victims, creating an endless cycle of threats and a feeling of hopelessness for victims.

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John DeMay noted that, as part of negotiations between the U.S. and Nigerian governments to extradite the Ogoshi brothers, U.S. officials had to take the death penalty off the table. The brothers also had their charges reduced as part of their plea agreements.

Findings from a survey of 1,631 victims by the Crimes Against Children Research Center and Thorn. The issue continues to grow into a bigger issue as technology, especially artificial intelligence, becomes more sophisticated. (Crimes Against Children Research Center and Thorn)

“So, now, when we go into the sentencing guidelines, which is a 15- to a 30-year sentence, they’ve already given them a ton of reprieve,” DeMay explained. “They have already given them a ton of concessions. So, that’s where I have a little bit of an issue with only 17 years, because they already knocked off 5 to 10 years on the lesser charge they already pulled off. They already pulled other charges off the top in the very beginning.”

Defense attorneys painted the Ogoshi brothers as victims, saying terrorists had burned down their home in Nigeria when they were children. Their attorneys also said they had been using drugs while carrying out these sextortion crimes online, DeMay said.

The Ogoshis’ attorneys could not immediately be reached for comment.

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

“The sentencing of sextortionists Samuel and Samson Ogoshi ensures both international criminals will no longer victimize minors in the United States or throughout the world,” Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office said in a statement. 

“Spreading awareness on sextortion is a top priority of the FBI here in Michigan. Our hearts and prayers are with the loved ones of Jordan DeMay and those affected by the criminal acts of these individuals.”

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.

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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, “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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Cleveland, OH

Extreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect

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Extreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect


This forecast is outdated and inaccurate. Get the latest forecast here.

CLEVELAND (WJW) — (WJW) — The National Weather Service has extended its EXTREME HEAT WARNING for all of Northeast Ohio.

It will remain in effect until 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3, in Ashland, Ashtabula, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning Medina, Ottawa, Portage, Richland, Sandusky, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties; and until 10 p.m. Friday, July 3, in Carroll, Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties.

The heat waves continues! An EXTREME HEAT WARNING will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday. Heat indices could top 105 degrees during the hottest time of day on Friday.

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Once again, there will not be much relief from the heat and humidity overnight. Tonight lows will be in the mid to upper 70s again. Feeling warmer with the higher humidity. Mostly clear skies.

Friday will be the last sweltering summer day before the heat starts to back off for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. There is the chance of rain and storms Friday evening, around 7pm that could go through the late evening. This may impact some 4th of July celebrations on Friday. Any storm that pops up we’ll have to watch for the potential of gusty winds, heavy downpours and large hail.

This is what the radar could look like by the time some Fireworks celebrations are expected Friday evening. We have a level 2 out of 5 chance of any storm turning severe, meaning that 1 or 2 have the chance.

The upper-level ridge, or heat dome, will start to breakdown on Friday. This means two things. The first is it will go from being very hot and humid to being very warm and humid. The second thing is the chance of rain and threat of storms will return.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend will be far from a washout! There will be more dry time than time with downpours and storms. However, clusters of downpours and storms will move through Northeast Ohio at times. This means some Fourth of July events, backyard BBQs, pool parties, and firework shows could be impacted by rain and storms.

With all the heat and humidity around, any downpours or storms that develop could be strong and produce gusty winds, small hail, torrential rain, and lightning. Here’s the latest 8 Day Forecast:

Keep up with FOX 8 News for the latest weather updates.



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Illinois

Fireworks Near Me: July 4th Events Around Chicago Heights For 2026

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Fireworks Near Me: July 4th Events Around Chicago Heights For 2026



Celebrations around the country recall not only the events leading up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but also look forward and aim to make the 4th of July weekend a massive, multigenerational cultural moment focused on community connections and charitable giving.

America’s Block Party, an unprecedented coast-to-coast initiative, is one of the signature events of America 250, the congressionally chartered nonprofit overseeing the semiquincentennial celebration.

A Times Square Ball Drop, a rolling series of ball drops, timed to occur at midnight on July 3 in every U.S. time zone from Guam to American Samoa, is part of the “Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show,” creating a nearly 24-hour celebration of the 250th anniversary. It’s part of the broader “Giving 4th” initiative that aims to make and establish Independence Day the biggest annual day of giving.

A time capsule will be buried in Philadelphia to be opened in 2276 on July 4. It contains a carefully curated collection of letters and artifacts reflecting the leadership, institutions, and communities that shape the country today. It will include contributions from all three branches of the U.S. federal government and submissions from each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., and five territories.

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Separately, the White House’s Freedom 250’s biggest spectacles are the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, running June 25 to July 10; the July 4 Salute to America Fireworks, also on the National Mall; “Sail 4th 250,” billed as the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world in New York Harbor; and Rushmore 250, an iconic 4th of July fireworks on July 3 alongside military concerts and live presidential reenactors.





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Indiana

Retro Indy: These cities could have been Indiana’s capital

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Retro Indy: These cities could have been Indiana’s capital


After bouncing between nine different cities in the years following the nation’s founding on July 4, 1776, the United States’ capital finally settled into its permanent home in Washington, D.C. on December 1, 1800.

That same year, Indiana gained the first of its three capitals at a former French trading post near the site of a pivotal battle in the Revolutionary War.

The journey of Indiana’s seat of government from Vincennes to Indianapolis via a stop in Corydon reflects the growth of the state in the early years of the nation’s history.

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Founded by French explorers in 1732, Vincennes was Indiana’s first permanent European settlement. France ceded control to the British in 1763, who built Fort Sackville in 1777 to protect the Western front during the Revolutionary War. Americans took over the fort in 1778, but lost it to the British a few months later.

Then in 1779, Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark successfully led a daring expedition 180 miles across the flooded plains from Kaskaskia, Illinois, to recapture Fort Sackville for the United States and secure the area that would later become the Northwest Territory.

In 1800, Congress carved out the western portion of the Northwest Territory to create the new Indiana Territory which encompassed Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Michigan. Vincennes was named the capital of the Indiana Territory.

By 1810, the size of the Indiana Territory had shrunk to the state’s current boundaries. Lawmakers sought to move the territorial capital to a new location in the southeastern part of the state where the center of population had shifted. Madison, Charlestown, Lawrenceburg, Clarksville and Jeffersonville were all in the running for the prized seat of government, but Corydon eventually won out in 1813 because of its centralized location and its new limestone courthouse that would make an ideal site for the legislature to meet.

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After serving three years as the territorial capital, Corydon became the first official state capital when Indiana was granted statehood in 1816. Under the state constitution this was a temporary arrangement that would end in 1825 when a permanent state capital would be established on land the federal government had donated.

In 1820, a group of commissioners met at William Conner’s house near Noblesville to begin their search for a new capital that would be carved out of the wilderness. Two sites landed on their short list – a well-known waystation for travelers on the bluffs of the White River in present-day Morgan County and a small pioneer settlement at the confluence of the White River and Fall Creek. The latter was approved by the commissioners on June 7, 1820 partly because they mistakenly believed that the White River was deep enough to serve as a major artery for commercial shipping.

The General Assembly approved the commissioners’ recommendation on January 6, 1821. After rejecting “Tecumseh” and “Suwarrow,” lawmakers named the new capital “Indianapolis,” for city of Indiana. Because most of its residents were sick with malaria during the summer of 1821, the city’s first Fourth of July celebration was held in 1822. The entire town was invited, and a freshly killed buck was barbecued in the middle of Washington Street. Near the end of the day and after much alcohol was consumed, pioneer leader Calvin Fletcher offered the following toast: “Indianapolis. May it not prove itself unworthy of the honor the state has conferred upon it by making it her seat of government.”

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As it turned out, however, being designated the state capital and becoming the state capital were two different things. The Indiana General Assembly needed to pass legislation to relocate state government from Corydon to Indianapolis, but southern Indiana lawmakers balked at relinquishing their power base. And so the nascent city of Indianapolis lacked representation in the General Assembly until 1823. Finally in January 1824, state lawmakers authorized the move and later that year the official relocation began.

On a sunny day in October 1824, a small wagon train led by State Treasurer Samuel Merrill left Corydon to begin the arduous journey through the backwoods to Indianapolis. A large covered wagon carried important state documents and a strong box containing the state treasury.

As later recounted by Merrill’s son, the party made quite an impression when it reached Indianapolis after 11 days on the road.

Feeling like this was the proudest day of his life, the wagon driver decked out the horses with sleigh bells as they approached the city and asked a man who passed them on horseback to ride forward and let the townspeople know that the seat of government was coming.

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According to Samuel Merrill, Jr.’s account, “At the word, out poured most of the five hundred inhabitants – boys, girls, men and women – to see a sight that will never again be seen in Indiana.”

The capital had finally arrived.

Libby Cierzniak is a retired attorney who has written extensively about Indianapolis history for HistoricIndianapolis.com and in her own blog, Indypolitan.com. She is a frequent guest on Hoosier History Live and a regular contributor to Retro Indy. Contact her via Indypolitan.com.



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