The United States Government has agreed to reduce Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi’s sentence to 11 years for helping detectives solve other cases.
According to Peoples Gazette, American attorneys led by Khaldoun Shobaki in the U.S. Central District of California, argued that Hushpuppi should also be asked to pay $1.7 million in restitution; $500K in fines and $100 in administrative fees, per recommendations submitted ahead of his sentencing on 21st September 2022.
The prosecutors argued that their sentencing recommendations were appropriate considering the gravity of Hushpuppi’s crimes. The government said one of his co-conspirators, Ghaleb Alaumary, was sentenced to 140 years in jail for violating the same set of criminal codes.
“By his own admission, during just an 18-month period defendant conspired to launder over $300 million,” the prosecutors said. The government said Mr Abbas’ criminal path was premeditated, even though he had a clear chance to choose a rewarding career as a law-abiding citizen.
Mr Abbas’ sentencing, the government argued, was reduced because he cooperated with detectives on criminal cases under investigation and prosecution in American courts.
The famous internet fraudstar was arrested in Dubai, June 2020 for driving multiple schemes that targeted victims in Europe and the United States. He pleaded guilty in April 2021, after prosecutors discovered his involvement in a separate conspiracy to defraud a Qatari businessperson, who lost $810K in the process of trying to obtain an elusive loan to set up an international school.
Story: Oluwaseyi Aiyegbusi
Media: @hushpuppi/ Instagram