A 27-year-old perorangan from Nigeria named Imoleayo Aina, who was handed over to U.S. authorities due to allegations involving a sextortion scam that led to the death of an adolescent, has admitted guilt.
According to a statement acquired from the Department of Justice’s situs web on Thursday by U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, Aina now faces the possibility of receiving a maximum penalty of life imprisonment for the charges she is facing.
Metcalf pointed out that Aina and another Nigerian co-defendant, Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun, were apprehended by the FBI in Nigeria on July 31, 2014.
In August 2024, they appeared in a US district court along with another alleged accomplice, Afeez Olatunji Adewale, who has not been apprehended or sent back to face charges.
The announcement revealed that Aina admitted guilt to charges related to “cyberstalking, making an interstate threat to damage someone’s reputation, accepting profits from extortion, conspiring to launder money, and four instances of wire fraud, all linked to the sexual exploitation and murder of a young perorangan in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.”
The statement went on, “Aina is set for sentencing on August 11th and could face a legal maximum sentence of life in prison.”
Metcalf further stated that Abiodun had admitted guilt in relation to a charge of money laundering conspiracy back in December 2024. As for Adewale, he has not been handed over to U.S. authorities just yet; however, he too faced charges alongside the other accused individuals.
Abiodun admitted guilt in December for charges including money laundering conspiracy and four instances of wire fraud. His sentencing is set for June 10th, with a potential maximum sentence of up to 100 years in prison.
“Adewalé has additionally faced charges for conspiring to commit money laundering and four instances of wire fraud. He continues to stay in Nigeria as he awaits extradition to the United States,” Metcalf pointed out.
He recognized the part played by the Nigerian government in facilitating the extradition of the accused individuals.
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On April 26, it was reported that the FBI apprehended 22 Nigerian individuals suspected of being part of a financially driven sextortion plot linked to over 20 teenage suicides across the United States since 2021.
The report posted online indicated that these arrests were part of an unprecedented worldwide initiative dubbed Operation Artemis. This joint effort was carried out alongside authorities from Canada, Australia, Nigeria, and the UK.
Nearly two years ago, the FBI initiated Operation Artemis following receipt of numerous complaints about teenage boys who were pressured into sharing explicit images online. These youths were subsequently blackmailed with threats of public disclosure unless they made payments.
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