Hushpuppi gets over 11 years in prison to pay $1.8 million in restitution

Hushpuppi, a prolific international fraudster who conspired to launder tens of millions of dollars through a series of online scams and flaunted his lavish, crime-funded lifestyle on social media, was sentenced Monday to 135 months in US federal prison.

Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, a 40-year-old Nigerian national, also known by his Instagram username, "Ray Hushpuppi", was convicted by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II, who also ordered him to pay $1,732,841 in restitution. to two victims of fraud.

Hushpuppi (Abbas) 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 remains in federal custody since his deportation from the United Arab Emirates.

"Abbas (Hushpuppi) has 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 U.S. attorney Martin Estrada. "Money laundering and business email compromise scams are a huge international crime problem, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement and international partners to identify and prosecute those involved, wherever 'they are."

"Ramon Abbas, aka 'Hushpuppi,' targeted US and international victims, becoming one of the most prolific money launderers in the world," said Don Alway, deputy director in charge of the FBI's field office. in Los Angeles. “Abbas has taken advantage of his social media platforms – where he has amassed a sizable following – to gain notoriety and boast of the immense wealth he has acquired by running business email compromise scams, thefts banking and other cyber frauds that have financially ruined dozens of victims and provided assistance to the North Korean regime.This significant sentence is the result of years of collaboration between law enforcement agencies from multiple countries and should send a clear warning to international fraudsters that the FBI will seek justice for the victims, whether the criminals operate inside or outside the borders of the United States.

Mr. Abbas conspired with Ghaleb Alaumary, 37, of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, a convicted money launderer, to launder funds from various crimes, including cyber bank robberies, e-compromising schemes professional emails (BEC) and other online frauds. BEC schemes typically involve gaining unauthorized access to a business email account and attempting to trick a victimized business into making an unauthorized bank transfer.

In January 2019, Abbas (Hushpuppi) conspired with Mr Alaumary to launder stolen funds from a bank in Malta by providing bank account information in Romania and Bulgaria. The United States has accused North Korean hackers of carrying out the cyber heist of a bank in Malta and alleged that these funds were intended for the North Korean government. Abbas admitted that the expected loss for the Maltese bank was around $14.7 million.

In May 2019, Mr Abbas conspired with Mr Alaumary to launder millions of pounds stolen from a professional football club in the UK as well as a UK company. As part of the scheme, Abbas provided Alaumary with details of a bank account in Mexico that "could handle millions and not block", according to court documents.

Mr. Abbas (Hushpuppi) also fraudulently tricked a New York-based law firm in October 2019 into transferring approximately $922,857 to an account a co-conspirator controlled under someone else's name.

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 more than $30 million in restitution.

Mr. Abbas also admitted in his plea agreement to conspiring with others to defraud an individual in Qatar who applied for a $15 million loan to build a school.

During Monday's sentencing hearing, Judge Wright ordered Hushpuppi to pay $922,857 in restitution to the victim law firm and $809,983 in restitution to the businessman in Qatar.

Mr. Abbas and another conspirator duped...