MARQUETTE — Two Nigerian brothers pleaded guilty Wednesday to sexually exploiting teenage boys and young men in Michigan and across the country, including a Marquette case that drove a 17-year-old to commit suicide.

Samuel Ogoshi, 22, and Samson Ogoshi, 20, of Lagos, Nigeria, each pleaded guilty to conspiring to sexually exploit teenage boys in the Western District of Michigan and across the United States, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten announced in a news release Wednesday. The offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, with a maximum of 30 years.

“Today’s guilty pleas represent an extraordinary success in the prosecution of international sextortion,” Totten said. “These convictions will send a message to criminals in Nigeria and every corner of the globe: working with our partners both here and overseas, we can find you and we can bring you to justice.”

He added: “I hope these guilty pleas also bring a small measure of relief to the family of Jordan DeMay, who died as a result of this crime. Of course, the job is not done. The Ogoshi brothers await sentencing later this year, and we are still pursuing the extradition of the third defendant, Ezekiel Robert.”

The Ogoshis were accused of running an international sextortion ring in which they posed as a woman and that resulted in the suicide of 17-year-old DeMay of Marquette on March 25, 2022.

DeMay was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which prompted an investigation by the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Sexual extortion, or sextortion, involves persuading victims to send explicit photos online then threatening to make the images public if the victim doesn’t pay money or engage in sexual favors.

The two men were indicted in November 2022 and extradited from Nigeria in August 2023. They originally pleaded not guilty to a host of charges.

The plea agreement describes the integrated roles played by Samuel and Samson Ogoshi in creating fake accounts, luring and extorting victims, according to the news release. As part of their pleas, the brothers have agreed to cooperate in the prosecution of others. Charges against Robert are still pending.

On March 21, a Nigerian court ordered Robert be extradited to the United States as well, but he has appealed that decision and the matter is before the Nigerian High Court, according to the news release.

Totten hasn’t said how many other victims there might be in the case.

“Financial sextortion is a rising and very serious threat targeting our minors nationwide and this case shook the very core of our Michigan community,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We encourage the public to have open and honest conversations with their loved ones surrounding sextortion and to take heed of the warning signs. If you believe you or someone you know has become a victim of this crime, please contact the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip at tips.fbi.gov.”

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Mekaru and Davin Reust, and investigated by the FBI, the Marquette Sheriff’s Department and the Michigan State Police Cybercrimes Unit in Marquette, with the cooperation and assistance of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and the Nigerian Attorney General’s Office – Ministry of Justice provided critical assistance securing the arrest and extradition of the defendants, Totten’s office stated in the news release.