by
Jordan DeMay
Five American men from Alabama and Georgia have pleaded guilty to laundering money for a Nigerian sextortion scheme that targeted more than 100 boys and young men, including high school homecoming king Jordan DeMay, 17, of Marquette, who ended up committing suicide, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Grand Rapids announced Thursday.
In the case of DeMay, he was contacted by Nigerian men on the Internet posing as a female on Instagram in March 2022.
Federal authorities say they convinced DeMay to send nude pictures of himself, then blackmailed him for money, threatening to send those photos to people he knew. DeMay sent $300, but the men continued to pressure him for more. He ended up killing himself at his home on March 25, 2022.
Under the scheme, the Nigerians extorted money and directed people to send funds through various cash applications controlled by the U.S. money launderers, who pleaded guilty.
The five launderers would keep a portion of the victims’ funds—typically 20 percent—and then convert the rest into Bitcoin, authorities said. The launderers would then send the Bitcoin to an unindicted Nigerian co-conspirator known as “The Plug.” The Plug would keep a portion of the Bitcoin funds and send the remainder to others in the scheme.
Those who pleaded guilty include:
Dinsmore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, Alabama, pleaded guilty on Jan. 22.
Kendall Ormond London, 32, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty on March 26.
Brian Keith Coldmon Jr., 30, of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, pleaded guilty on March 28.
Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, of McDonough, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 2.
Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, pleaded guilty on April 2.
“These individuals helped and profited from this awful, heartbreaking scheme, and so they now will face the consequences,” said Grand Rapids Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge in a statement.
Two of the three Nigerian men involved in the scheme were extradited to the U.S. in 2023 and pleaded guilty the following year.
The U.S. Attorney's press release offers suggestions on how to guard against sextortion schemes:
Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and that person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
Be willing to ask for help. If you are receiving messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or seek help from an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help.
