U.S. authorities have begun the prosecution of Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian extradited from the United Kingdom over alleged s+xt@rtion and wire fra¥d schemes that netted him at least $2 million.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced on Thursday that Shanu made his first court appearance before Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham after arriving in the United States.
He faces an eight-count indictment, including charges of wire fra¥d conspiracy, aggravated identity th£ft, money laundering conspiracy, extortion, interstate communications with intent to extort, and cyberst+lking.
If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison, in addition to restitution to victims.
According to prosecutors, Shanu and his accomplices posed as women on social media to lure men into sharing explicit photos. Once obtained, the images were used to bl@ckmail the victims, including a college student in Idaho, by thr+atening to expose them unless payments were made.
Investigators allege Shanu laundered over $2 million through peer-to-peer payment apps and cryptocurrency wallets before funneling the funds to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
Court filings from 2023 revealed that U.S. Secret Service agents had seized his Binance account, linking it to a $2.5 million s+xt@rtion, wire fra¥d, and money laundering scheme.
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