Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian native, was recently extradited from the United Kingdom to the United States after being accused of committing sextortion and various romance scams on American citizens.

Shanu is facing a host of charges, including wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit extortion, money laundering conspiracy, extortion, conspiracy to commit interstate communications with the intent to extort, and cyberstalking. According to reports, Shanu and his conspirators would first pose as women online by creating fake social media pages. 

Then, they’d convince their victims, who were usually men, to send sexual images of themselves. Once they did, Shanu and his team would blackmail the victim by threatening to send those images to the victim’s family and friends unless they paid out a ransom.

In many cases, victims across the United States submitted to the blackmailer’s demands and paid a ransom.

Shanu is also accused of intentionally developing emotional and romantic online relationships with the sole intent of later convincing those victims to send them money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. All the illegal money gained in these schemes was ultimately laundered before being transferred to Nigerian accounts. Over the years, Shanu has been accused of obtaining at least $2 million from citizens.

If convicted, the Nigerian native could face up to 20 years in a U.S. federal prison. He might also be required to pay restitution to the victims for their losses.

This arrest was made possible by the collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, U.S. State Department, UK’s National Crime Agency, UK’s National Extradition Unit, U.S. Secret Service, and the Boise Police Department.

Online Crimes Are Not Borderless

One of the key takeaways from this story is that online crimes are not borderless. If you commit a crime online, then you can still face prosecution, even if that means facing justice in another country.

In general, if the country you live in has an extradition treaty with the country where you’re accused of committing a crime, then there’s a good chance you could get arrested in your native country and get sent to another county to face justice. 

Nigeria does have an extradition treaty with the United States. The United Kingdom also has an extradition treaty with the U.S.

Have you been accused of committing a criminal offense on the internet? If so, then it’s important to get informed about your rights and responsibilities as soon as possible. You’ll want to hire an attorney with international experience who understands the extradition process. In some cases, the right attorney may be able to help you avoid extradition. This is especially true if you’re being accused of committing a crime in a country that’s known for mistreating prisoners or failing to uphold an individual’s rights. If avoiding extradition is impossible, then your attorney can still help you develop a solid defense strategy that will be effective in the country where you’re being charged.

Here at Bukh Global, our team is prepared to help you face your international case. Schedule a free call with our team now by leaving your contact details on our online form.