Olamide Shanu, a 34-year-old Nigerian national, has been brought before a court in Idaho following his extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States. He faces serious allegations including sextortion, romance scams, and multiple other fraudulent activities.
The Department of Justice announced the development on September 18, 2025, with Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott providing details about the case.
Shanu’s first court appearance occurred on September 17, 2025, presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham.
He is formally charged in an eight-count indictment that includes wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit interstate communications with intent to extort and cyberstalking, conspiracy to commit extortion, money laundering conspiracy, extortion, interstate communications with intent to commit extortion, and cyberstalking.
Shanu was apprehended in London on November 7, 2023, following the indictment issued in the District of Idaho. Since his arrest, he has been held in custody.
According to the indictment, Shanu and his associates impersonated women on social media platforms to deceive primarily male victims into sharing explicit photographs. Once obtained, the group allegedly threatened to distribute these images to the victims’ acquaintances and family members unless a ransom was paid.
This extortion scheme reportedly targeted numerous individuals across the United States, including a university student in Idaho.
In addition to sextortion, the indictment accuses the group of orchestrating a romance scam. The illicit proceeds were allegedly funneled through peer-to-peer payment systems and various cryptocurrency wallets before being transferred to the perpetrators in Nigeria.
The fraudulent activities are estimated to have generated at least $2 million in illicit gains.
If found guilty, Shanu could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, along with orders to compensate the victims for their financial losses.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott expressed gratitude to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. State Department for their instrumental roles in facilitating Shanu’s arrest and extradition.
He also acknowledged the critical support provided by the National Extradition Unit of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency in the successful apprehension and transfer of Shanu.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Secret Service in collaboration with the Boise Police Department. The prosecution team includes Assistant United States Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sean Mazorol, alongside Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) Trial Attorney Vasantha Rao.
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