The United States Department of Justice disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Shanu, who was extradited to the United States from Nigeria following his transfer from the United Kingdom in 2025, pleaded guilty on Monday to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, Shanu and his co-conspirators operated an international, financially motivated sextortion and romance fraud scheme.
In the sextortion operation, the group typically targeted male victims and persuaded them to send sexually explicit images. The victims were subsequently threatened with having the images sent to their friends and relatives unless they paid money.
The scheme targeted numerous victims across the United States, including at least one person in Idaho.
In the romance scams, Shanu and his associates allegedly used fake identities on social media to establish deceptive emotional relationships with victims, who were often older men and women.
After gaining their trust, the fraudsters allegedly convinced victims that they had a romantic future together before asking them to send money to meet supposed urgent financial needs.
The proceeds were subsequently laundered through peer-to-peer payment applications and several cryptocurrency wallet addresses before being transferred to co-conspirators in Nigeria.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division described the case as an example of an international scheme that exploited victims through sextortion and romance fraud while laundering millions of dollars in criminal proceeds.
US Attorney for the District of Idaho, Bart M. Davis, said the prosecution demonstrated the commitment of American authorities to pursuing cybercriminals regardless of where they operate.
“This prosecution demonstrates our unwavering commitment to holding cybercriminals accountable, no matter where they operate in the world,” Davis said.
Assistant Director Brent Daniels of the US Secret Service’s Office of Field Operations described financially motivated sextortion as a crime that exploits victims through fear, shame and trust.
Shanu is scheduled to be sentenced on December 15 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the US Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The US Secret Service and Boise Police Department are investigating the case.
The prosecution is being handled by Senior Counsel Vasantha Rao of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant US Attorneys Brittney Campbell and Sean Mazorol for the District of Idaho.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the US State Department and UK authorities also provided assistance in the case.
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