* Social media influencer Ramon Abbas (known online as Hushpuppi) sentenced to 11 years in prison for laundering millions of dollars.
Abbas, described as a “Nigerian con man,” had his penthouse in Palazzo Versace raided by Dubai police in June 2020. He reportedly spent nearly two years detained in Dubai before being extradited to Chicago and then transferred to a federal detention center in Los Angeles awaiting trial.
Abbas, 40, has been accused of conspiring with other Africans to borrow $124 million. We previously reported that his victims came from an American law firm that was kidnapped for $40 million through Hushpuppi and his associates, according to reports.
READ MORE: Influencer Hushpuppi postponed sentencing hearing until July
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In one scheme, Hushpuppi attempted to obtain a loan of more than $1. 1 million from whoever sought to finance a new nursery school in Qatar, according to the documents. Court records unsealed this week show he pleaded guilty to the fee on April 20.
The documents implicate that between Jan. 18, 2019, and June 9, 2020, Hushpuppi and others targeted several victims and laundered illicit budgets at banks around the world. In a statement, acting U. S. Attorney Tracy Wilkinson said Hushpuppi and others manipulated the school’s investment by acting as bank officials and creating a fake website.
Abbas, 40, has shared photos of his lavish way of life on his Instagram page. His account was deleted before the sentencing hearing.
“Abbas has boasted on social media of his lavish way of life, a way of life funded through his involvement in transnational frauds and money laundering schemes targeting victims around the world,” said U. S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “Money laundering and commercial email compromise scams are a massive foreign crime problem, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement and foreign partners to identify and prosecute those involved, wherever they may be. “
Abbas pleaded guilty to money laundering in July 2021. His sentencing hearing was continuously postponed due to the COVID pandemic. Upon his release, he will be deported to his home country of Nigeria.