The Ministry of Justice announced that four West African men had been arrested in a sick fraud that caused a teenager in California to take over his private life.
Ryan was killed in high school, 17 years old, in February 2022 a few hours after sending nude photos online to a deception that was believed to be a 20-year-old woman-then he threatened to inform the photo publicly if he refuses to pay.
“He did not realize that these people were benefiting from him, and he was terrified of what he would do for us,” said Pauline Stewart Los Angeles Times.
The death of the death sparked a huge international investigation into the plan that targeted “thousands of victims” – including the palace – in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy, according to federal prosecutors.
The last contact was made by Alfred by Alfred Cassi, from Côte d'Ivoire, who claims to have sent a young woman a clear picture and then requested one in return.
Then, Kassi immediately demanded $ 5,000 of the boy, and threatened to share the nude photo with friends and his last family, according to CNN.
Cassie cut the price to only 150 dollars when the desperate teenager said he could not bear the costs of what he requested. Stewart said that once her son was sent to money, the fraudsters continued to “chase him.”
Before taking his life, he wrote the last memo apologizing for what happened, his mother said.
Cassie was arrested by the enforcement of Ivorian law on April 29. He was found with Sextinter's exchange still on his phone, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Investigators also set many money laundering partners who helped Cassi move $ 150.
One of these alleged funds is Omarou Ouedraogo, who was arrested by the enforcement of Ivorian law on April 25.
Two other Idorians, Musa Deby and Osim Cis, were part of the Cassi network in Cassi and confessed to their own crimes.
Jonathan Cassi-a US-based partner, Jonathan Cassi-who had nothing to do with Alfred Cassi-was convicted in 2023 in the California Court and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Côte d'Ivoire does not surrender its citizens, which means that the four defendants who live in Africa will be tried in their homeland under the laws of Electronic Crime, according to the Ministry of Justice.
Stewart said that she hopes to send the arrests a strong message to fraudsters targeting Americans from abroad.
“We are grateful for that [law enforcement officials] They did not give up and continued to work. “
“Unfortunately, Ryan will never repeat. It is one of these double -edge swords,” she added.
“My son still has gone, but I hope, with this arrest, that he brings consciousness and frightens the fraudsters, because they feel safe in a foreign country. They don't think they can touch them.”
