Cross Abu Cole, a 21-year-old Ghanaian, was detained in the US on suspicion of trying to extract money by threatening to release a victim’s naked pictures, including pictures from the victim’s early years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York reports that Cole was taken into custody on June 10 after arriving in Houston, Texas.
He is accused of communicating over state lines with the intention of extorting. He faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
The case, according to the prosecution, began in October 2022 when a resident of the United States reported receiving threatening communications requesting $200 using CashApp.
Subsequently connected to Cole, the sender allegedly threatened to send the victim’s naked pictures, including one from when he was a kid, to his Snapchat contacts if payment was not received.
After talking to his father, the victim canceled the payment, even though he had attempted it at first. But the dangers persisted.
By using a compromised Yahoo email linked to the victim’s Snapchat, an FBI investigation was able to link the digital trail back to Cole.
He appeared in court for the first time before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was placed on remand.
Source: newsthemegh.com