US Govt. Urges Court To Jail Hushpuppi 11 Years

The US government has asked a District Court in Central California to sentence Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi, the Nigerian Instagram celebrity, to 11 years (135 months) in prison for fraud.

It gave its reasons for proposing the equivalent of 11 years and three months jail time for Mr Abbas in its court filings, according to Premium Times.

Hushpuppi, an international fraudster, was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE) in June 2020 over an extensive fraudulent scheme that has robbed victims of their money in the U.S., Qatar, the United Kingdom, and other places.

He was taken to the U.S, where he was charged with fraud and money laundering.

In July 2021, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He admitted to conspiring with multiple persons within and outside the U.S to launder the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme perpetrated against persons and businesses in different countries.

The trial judge, Otis Wright, has fixed 7 November as the date to sentence Hushpuppi.

Hushpuppi says he deserves a lesser sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering at a United States court in July last year.

Mr Abbas, a Nigerian Instagram celebrity, told the U.S. Central District Court in California that the U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to recommend a reduction in the applicable sentencing guidelines offence level following his guilty plea.

He was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE) in June 2020, and subsequently ferried to the US, where he pleaded guilty to the charges in July 2021.

The trial judge, Otis Wright, has fixed 7 November for his sentencing.

Ahead of the sentencing, a team of U.S. attorneys, led by Stephanie Christensen, has urged the court to “sentence the defendant (Hushpuppi) to 135 months’ imprisonment.”

But in court filings through his lawyer, Louis Shapiro, Hushpuppi said the US Attorney’s Office “agreed to recommend that Mr Abbas be sentenced to a term of imprisonment below the calculated range dictated by statute…”

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