logo
Ivory Coast men tied to sextortion scheme that led to suicide of San Jose teen, DOJ says

Ivory Coast men tied to sextortion scheme that led to suicide of San Jose teen, DOJ says

Yahoo10-05-2025

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Four men in the Ivory Coast have been linked to an international sextortion scheme that targeted thousands of victims, including minors — one of whom was a San Jose teenager who died by suicide after being scammed online, federal prosecutors said.
What we know
Ryan Last, 17, was a high school senior when he died in February 2022.
His mother, Pauline Stuart, later shared his story on the Dr. Phil show, explaining how her son was manipulated.
"They pretended to be a girl," she said. "They sent a picture first to him and said, 'Now that you have one of us – send us one in return. Within minutes of them getting the picture, they demanded $5,000 from him."
According to the Department of Justice, the scammers posed as a 20-year-old woman. Though Ryan didn't have $5,000, he sent $150 — but was then pressured for more under the threat of having his photo shared online.
He died by suicide eight hours after sending the compromising image.
One man tied to the scheme, Jonathan Kassi of Southern California, was arrested and convicted in 2023. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Dig deeper
Prosecutors said Kassi did not act alone. He had four accomplices in Côte d'Ivoire who helped orchestrate the scam, which targeted victims in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy.
A joint investigation between U.S. and Ivorian authorities led to the identification of Alfred Kassi — not related to Jonathan Kassi — as another key culprit in the scheme. He was arrested by Ivorian law enforcement on April 29 and, at the time of his arrest, allegedly still had messages linked to Ryan Last's sextortion.
Three other alleged accomplices — Oumarou Ouedraogo, Moussa Diaby and Oumar Cisse — were arrested on April 25.
Authorities said they helped launder funds obtained from victims.
Because Côte d'Ivoire does not extradite its own citizens, all four suspects will be prosecuted under Ivorian cybercrime laws.
The Source
Department of Justice

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

A new day of immigration protests is starting in Los Angeles
A new day of immigration protests is starting in Los Angeles

The Verge

time16 minutes ago

  • The Verge

A new day of immigration protests is starting in Los Angeles

Angelenos are demanding the release of people detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), planning to gather in downtown Los Angeles for another day of protests following immigration raids throughout the region — but this time, against the backdrop of a federal National Guard deployment. Immigrant rights groups and unions plan to gather for one of the major actions anticipated in LA today, coinciding with the scheduled arraignment of the prominent labor leader David Huerta who was arrested on Friday. Beyond Huerta, folks are turning out to support coworkers and loved ones. 'These raids are cruel, disruptive, and designed to terrorize immigrant communities. They tear families apart,' the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) said in a statement the day Huerta was arrested. Huerta is President of SEIU California and was detained while 'conducting legal observation of ICE activity in his community,' according to AFL-CIO union leaders. SEIU says Huerta was 'beaten and dragged away.' ICE didn't immediately respond to a request for response from The Verge. At least 118 people were arrested in ICE operations last week, according to a Department of Homeland Security press release on Saturday. Protests have emerged across Los Angeles to stop ICE from detaining community members as part of the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign. President Trump called protesters 'troublemakers and insurrectionists' on Truth Social. On Saturday night, he ordered the National Guard to deploy and crack down on protests against the wishes of Governor Gavin Newsom — marking the first time a president has ordered troops without a governor's assent since 1965. Mayor Karen Bass called the move 'a chaotic escalation' and Newsom said it was 'purposefully inflammatory and [would] only escalate tensions.' Over the weekend, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also threatened to deploy Marines. Demonstrations across the city on Saturday 'remained peaceful,' the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement that night. But by late Sunday, hours after National Guard troops arrived, clashes escalated as more authorities and protesters gathered. The LAPD authorized the use of 'less lethal munitions' and an Australian reporter was caught on camera being shot by a rubber bullet. A British photojournalist said he was undergoing emergency surgery after being hit by what he believes was a non-lethal round. Waymo suspended its ride services after some of its tagged-up vehicles were set ablaze. LAPD spokesperson Drake Madison says that 42 people have been arrested so far, as of a Monday morning email to The Verge. An interfaith prayer vigil planned for Sunday night was canceled by organizers 'out of an abundance of caution.' A declaration of 'unlawful assembly' was in place overnight for downtown Los Angeles. But 'the tactical alert has been lifted,' Madison said in another email Monday morning.

LA Set for Fourth Day of Unrest as Newsom Resists National Guard
LA Set for Fourth Day of Unrest as Newsom Resists National Guard

Bloomberg

time27 minutes ago

  • Bloomberg

LA Set for Fourth Day of Unrest as Newsom Resists National Guard

By and John Gittelsohn Save Los Angeles is heading into a fourth day of unrest with California Governor Gavin Newsom vowing to sue to block the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops in the city, escalating a standoff over immigration raids that sparked protests over the weekend. Overnight, looting broke out in several areas of LA, including downtown, after demonstrators shut down a major freeway. Authorities made dozens of arrests including for assault with a deadly weapon and arson, according to local news station KTLA. Crowds clashed with law enforcement and at least five self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire.

Maxine Waters taunts armed agents after feds slam door on her during LA riots: 'You better shoot straight'
Maxine Waters taunts armed agents after feds slam door on her during LA riots: 'You better shoot straight'

Fox News

time32 minutes ago

  • Fox News

Maxine Waters taunts armed agents after feds slam door on her during LA riots: 'You better shoot straight'

Rep. Maxine Waters had a federal building door slammed in her face during the L.A. migrant riots – and was caught on video taunting armed agents, asking if they planned to shoot her. Video shows Waters hurrying past graffiti-covered walls of a government building and up the steps to a plywood-shielded doorway where a small crowd had gathered. "Hello, hello, hello," Waters, D-Calif., called out as she saw the California National Guard approaching the door, to enter. "I just came to use my congressional authority to check on David Huerta," she said, referring to the SEIU union leader who was arrested during the weekend's protests. The last agent to enter turned to her and said, "Ma'am, our lobby is secure right now to all visitors." But that did not deter the 86-year-old 18-term Democrat. "Excuse me, I need to get in," she said, as the agent told her to "contact our public affairs office," as he closed the door in her face. "I just want to see David Huerta!" she called out. Asked by nearby onlookers about the situation, Waters said she said Huerta was "targeted" but did not know why. "I don't know whether they are going to deport him? I want to report back to my caucus what is happening," she said. In a statement on the incident, Waters said she went to the Metropolitan Detention Center to visit Huerta – whom the SEIU said was "caught" in one of a series of ICE raids in Los Angeles County the union described as "a violent sweep." Waters also alluded to another viral clip she produced, which showed her taunting armed agents standing in formation in another part of the city. "I pled [sic] with the National Guard, which was heavily armed, not to use their weapons against peaceful demonstrators who were simply exercising their rights to freedom of speech and protest," Waters said in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. "All people deserve to be treated with dignity and due process under the law: Peaceful, nonviolent demonstrations are critical to protecting our constitutional rights." "The President of the United States is a cruel, dishonorable human being," she said, adding that he and others would "just as soon" like to see agents "shoot somebody down." "But I don't want that to happen. I want the elected officials to do everything that we can to dissuade them," Waters later told reporters. In the latter case, Waters was seen hollering at the agents, insisting they were letting themselves become unwitting pawns of President Donald Trump: "This is Trump and his outrageous attempt to not only target our sanctuary city, but to frighten us and intimidate us. This is wrong, and I hope that none of you will use those guns to shoot anybody… and allow them to make your service a service when you're killing people," she called out to the troops. Addressing assembled reporters at another opportunity, Waters claimed Trump wants to have an excuse to enact martial law and "goad us into a fight." "This is about how they're going to treat people of color in America… They have all the guns – we know they have all the guns." In another clip, she is seen addressing more troops: "What are you going to do? You're going to shoot some kid?" "You're gonna shoot an elected official? If you shoot me, you better shoot straight." Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store