The United States authorities have begun prosecuting Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian extradited from the United Kingdom, over his alleged role in a series of cyber-enabled crimes, including sextortion, romance scams, and wire fraud schemes worth at least $2 million.
Shanu, from Lagos State, made his first court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham in the District of Idaho, according to a statement by Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott.
He faces an eight-count indictment, covering charges such as wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, cyberstalking, extortion, and money laundering conspiracy.
Court filings allege that Shanu and his associates posed as women on social media to trick male victims into sharing explicit images, which they then used to blackmail the victims. The schemes reportedly targeted individuals across the U.S., including a college student in Idaho.
Prosecutors say the group also ran romance scams, laundering proceeds through peer-to-peer payment platforms and cryptocurrency wallets before funneling the funds to Nigeria.
If convicted, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison and may be ordered to pay restitution to victims.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott praised the international cooperation that led to the extradition, acknowledging the efforts of the U.S. Justice Department, the State Department, and the UK’s National Crime Agency.
The case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the Boise Police Department, with prosecution handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sean Mazorol, alongside CCIPS Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao.
Authorities emphasized that the indictment is only an allegation and that Shanu remains presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Report by: Praise Ekrika | Edited by: Chris Odjomah