ABUJA, Nigeria — A 35-year-old Nigerian national, Olamide Shanu, has pleaded guilty in the United States to conspiracy to commit money laundering linked to international sextortion and romance fraud schemes targeting approximately 150 Americans.
Okay News reports that Olamide Shanu entered the plea in a United States court after United States prosecutors stated he generated more than $2.5 million (approximately ₦3.75 billion) from the fraudulent operations.
Court documents show that Olamide Shanu and his co-conspirators targeted male victims in sextortion scams by persuading them to send sexual images before threatening to publish the material to friends and family unless payments were made. In separate romance scams, the group established fake identities on social media to build relationships with older men and women before requesting money for urgent needs.
The proceeds were laundered through peer-to-peer payment applications and cryptocurrency wallets before transfers were made to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
“This case exposes a sophisticated international scheme that exploited Americans through sextortion and romance fraud, laundering millions in criminal proceeds,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“This prosecution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they operate in the world,” said U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis for the District of Idaho.
“This guilty plea is an important step toward justice for the victims harmed by this international scheme and reflects the Secret Service’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who use cyber-enabled fraud to target Americans,” said Assistant Director Brent Daniels of the U.S. Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations.
Olamide Shanu was extradited from Nigeria to the United States and is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison following joint investigations by the U.S. Secret Service and the Boise Police Department.
Primary source: US Justice Department release.
