A United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Olamide Shanu, is facing up to 20 years in prison in the United States after being extradited to answer charges relating to a $2 million fraud scheme.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) disclosed in a statement on Thursday that the 34-year-old, originally from Lagos State, was arraigned before a US Magistrate Court on Wednesday on an eight-count indictment.
The Charges
According to the DoJ, Shanu is facing charges of:
- Wire fraud conspiracy
- Aggravated identity theft
- Conspiracy to commit interstate communications with intent to extort
- Cyberstalking
- Conspiracy to commit extortion
- Money laundering conspiracy
- Extortion
- Interstate communications with intent to commit extortion
Prosecutors allege that Shanu and his conspirators posed as women on social media platforms, luring male victims into sending sexually explicit images. Once the images were obtained, they allegedly threatened to expose them to the victims’ families and friends unless payments were made.
“The indictment alleges that Shanu and his conspirators engaged in the extortion of numerous victims across the United States, including a college student in Idaho,” the DoJ said.
In addition, Shanu is accused of laundering proceeds of the scheme through cryptocurrency wallets.
$2 Million Allegedly Defrauded
According to prosecutors, the sextortion scheme and related frauds yielded at least $2 million.
“If convicted of the charges, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison and restitution for the victims’ losses,” the DoJ statement added, noting that the indictment remains an allegation until proven in court.
Similar Cases
The case comes barely a month after another Nigerian, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu, based in France, was extradited to the US to face charges of wire fraud, hacking, and identity theft. Prosecutors allege Amachukwu and others hacked into US-based tax preparation businesses in multiple states in 2019, stealing data that led to losses of more than $819,000. He faces up to 47 years in prison if convicted.
