A Nigerian influencer known for documenting his extravagant lifestyle has pleaded guilty to money laundering charges. In documents filed in California on April 20, Hushpuppi, whose real name is Ramon Abbas, admitted the charges. Abbas scammed people out of more than $24 million, according to the documents.
Insider’s Mia Jancowicz reported that the 37-year-old was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 after being tracked down by the FBI. His 2.5m followers on Instagram, where he posts pictures of luxury cars, private jets, and designer clothes, played a key role in Abbas’s capture. His last post was in June 2020.
In one of Hushpuppi’s schemes, he attempted to defraud a businessman who was funding a new school in Qatar of $1.1 million. Aside from the influencer, two others in the US, and three suspected to be in Africa, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
‘The defendants allegedly faked the financing of a Qatari school by playing the roles of bank officials and creating a bogus website in a scheme that also bribed a foreign official to keep the elaborate pretense going after the victim was tipped ,’ said US Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison.
According to her, Abbas played ‘a significant role in the scheme’ and ‘funded his luxurious lifestyle by laundering illicit proceeds generated by con artists who use increasingly sophisticated means.’
Kristi K. Johnson, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, described Hushpuppi as ‘among the most high-profile money launderers in the world,’ and his guilty plea is ‘a crucial blow to this international network.’
A comment from Abbas was not immediately available.
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