DeMay

Five people are facing charges following an investigation into a recent sextortion scheme that led to the death of teenager Jordan DeMay of Marquette. 

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan Cheyvoryea Gibson announced charges against five defendants in relation to a money laundering conspiracy connected to the sextortion scheme on Friday. 

The indictment is a separate-but-related case that charges five defendants listed below with a single count of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. All are based in the U.S.: 

• Johnathon Demetrius Green, 32, Stone Mountain, Georgia 

• Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, McDonough, Georgia 

• Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 30, Huntsville, Alabama

• Kendall Ormond London Jr., 32, Lithonia, Georgia 

• Brian Keith Coldmon Jr., 30, Stone Mountain, Georgia 

Sexual extortion, also known as sextortion, is the act of extorting money or sexual favors from someone by threatening to reveal evidence of their sexual activity. 

“Every day Americans fall victim to financial scams, including sextortion, romance scams, and consumer fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, in a statement. “Senior citizens, children, and teenagers are especially vulnerable. The result of these crimes can be devastating, as the death of Jordan DeMay makes painfully clear. Today’s charges send a loud and clear message that we will chase down everyone who enables these crimes, including the U.S.-based money launderers.” 

Back in April, two Nigerian men were convicted for their roles in an international sextortion ring that led to the death of DeMay. 

DeMay was 17 years old, when, in 2022, he received an Instagram message from someone claiming to be a teenage girl. This account was actually run by a pair of Nigerian men, who sent images of a nude teenage girl to the unsuspecting DeMay. They then asked for explicit images of DeMay in return. After receiving the photos, the men threatened to send the explicit images of Jordan to his family and friends, unless he paid them. 

Jordan sent the scammers over $300 in an attempt to prevent the photos from being leaked. Despite receiving their money, the Nigerian men running the fake Instagram account provoked Jordan to the point of committing suicide. 

“They kept pushing and pushing,” Jordan’s father, John DeMay, said in an interview with Impact. “They were building collages with his compromised photo, with other photos of his friends and family and parents threatening to send it out to them and keep putting the pressure on them. They never gave him a single minute to think.” 

Jordan DeMay took his own life in his room on March 25, 2022. 

Following Jordan’s death, many advocate groups and law enforcement agencies in Michigan are taking steps to educate the public on how to spot, and avoid, sextortion schemes. Tips include blocking and ignoring messages from strangers, reporting any extortion to police, and being mindful that people can pretend to be anyone online.