BOISE, ID – A Nigerian man has been extradited to the United States to face federal charges in connection with a series of cyber-enabled schemes, including sextortion and romance scams.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho, 34-year-old Olamide Shanu of Lagos, Nigeria, made his initial appearance this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debora K. Grasham in Boise. Shanu was arrested in London on November 7, 2023, and remained in custody until his extradition.

A federal grand jury indicted Shanu on eight counts, including wire fraud conspiracy, aggravated identity theft, conspiracy to commit extortion, money laundering conspiracy, and cyberstalking. Prosecutors allege Shanu and his co-conspirators posed as women on social media, persuading victims—often men—to share sexual images. The conspirators then threatened to distribute the images to the victims’ family and friends unless payments were made.

Authorities say the scheme targeted multiple victims across the United States, including a college student in Idaho. In addition, prosecutors allege Shanu and others conducted romance scams and laundered proceeds through peer-to-peer payment platforms and cryptocurrency wallets before transferring the funds overseas. The indictment claims the schemes generated at least $2 million.

If convicted, Shanu faces up to 20 years in federal prison and potential restitution to victims.

Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott expressed gratitude to the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. State Department, and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency for assisting in Shanu’s arrest and extradition. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and Boise Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sean Mazorol, along with Department of Justice trial attorney Vasantha Rao.