Categories: News

Breaking: Hushpuppi to appeal 11 years’ sentencing for Internet fraud

Convicted internet fraudster Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas has filed a notice to appeal the 11-year sentence handed down to him for internet fraud and money laundering. 

 

Advertisement

This is contained in court documents filed at the United States District Court, Central District Of California, seen by Peoples Gazette. Hushpuppi filed the notice to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, restricting the matter only to his sentencing and not his conviction that came by way of a plea bargain and over which he had waved his rights to appeal.

The appeal, filed on Monday by Washington-based attorney John Iweanoge, covers only the sentence given by District Judge Otis D. Wright II.

Advertisement

Mr Abbas was sentenced to 11 years in prison and was ordered to pay $1,732,841 in restitution to two fraud victims. He pleaded guilty in April 2021 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in June 2020 and was kept in federal custody since his expulsion from the UAE.

“Abbas bragged on social media about his lavish lifestyle – a lifestyle funded by his involvement in transnational fraud and money laundering conspiracies targeting victims around the world,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.

Advertisement

Mr Abbas conspired with Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, a convicted money launderer, to launder funds derived from various crimes, including bank cyber-heists, business email compromise (BEC) schemes and other online frauds.  They also laundered funds stolen from a bank in Malta by providing account information for banks in Romania and Bulgaria.

In 2019, Mr Abbas fraudulently induced a New York-based law firm to transfer approximately $922,857 to an account that a co-conspirator controlled under someone else’s name.

Advertisement

Mr Alaumary was charged separately and pleaded guilty in November 2020 to one count of conspiracy to engage in money laundering. He is serving a 140-month federal prison sentence and was ordered to pay over $30 million in restitution.

Advertisement
Ayoola Olaitan

Recent Posts

Senate Approves Tinubu’s $2.2bn Loan Request

The Senate on Thursday approved President Bola Tinubu’s loan request of $2.2 billion to partially…

6 hours ago

2023 Presidential Poll Not Rigged – Okupe To Peter Obi

A former presidential spokesman, Doyin Okupe has dismissed claims by Peter Obi of the Labour…

6 hours ago

Ohanaeze Ndigbo Reveals Speaks On What Simon Ekpa’s Arrest Means For Igbo Nation

Leading Igbo Socio-cultural Organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has commended the arrest of self-acclaimed Biafra Prime Minister,…

6 hours ago

Car Dealer Surprises Davido With Brand New Escalade To Celebrate His Birthday

    A car dealer has gifted Nigerian singer Davido a new vehicle for his birthday.  …

13 hours ago

PDP Crisiss: Damagum Holds Closed-Door Meeting With State Chairmen

There is palpable tension in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after the acting National Chairman…

13 hours ago

Reevaluate your economic policies….they have worsened lives of Nigerians – ACF tells President Tinubu

The Arewa Consultative Forum says the policies of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration has worsened…

13 hours ago