A 27-year-old Nigerian man, Imoleayo Aina, has pleaded guilty in the United States to charges stemming from a sextortion scheme that authorities say contributed to the tragic death of a teenage boy.

 

The U.S. Department of Justice announced on Thursday, through U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, that Aina could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. His sentencing is scheduled for August 11, 2025.

 

Aina was arrested in Nigeria on July 31, 2014, along with alleged accomplice Samuel Olasunkanmi Abiodun, in a joint operation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Both men were later extradited to the United States for prosecution. They were formally arraigned in a U.S. District Court in August 2024. A third co-defendant, Afeez Olatunji Adewale, remains in Nigeria awaiting extradition.

 

According to the DOJ, Aina pleaded guilty to multiple offenses, including cyberstalking, interstate threats to damage reputation, receiving extortion proceeds, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and four counts of wire fraud. The charges are connected to a sextortion ring responsible for the death of a teenage boy in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

 

Abiodun had previously entered a guilty plea in December 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering and four counts of wire fraud. He is due to be sentenced on June 10, 2025, and faces up to 100 years in prison.

 

Adewale, who faces similar charges, has yet to be extradited.

 

U.S. authorities expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for its assistance in extraditing the suspects.

 

This case is part of a broader investigation into a global sextortion network. On April 26, 2025, the FBI announced the arrest of 22 Nigerian nationals involved in financially motivated sextortion schemes, which have been linked to over 20 teenage suicides in the U.S. since 2021.

 

The arrests were part of Operation Artemis, an international effort led by the FBI in partnership with law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The operation was launched in response to a surge in reports of teenage boys being coerced into sharing explicit images online, which were then used to extort them under the threat of public exposure.