I will repay $1.7 million in restitution when I only got $300,000 - Hushpuppi

Abbas Ramon, aka Hushpuppi, who is awaiting sentencing in a US court, has pledged to pay back $1.7 million in restitution to the victims of his fraudulent schemes.

This, the Nigerian celebrity said on Instagram, despite only benefiting from $300,000 from the crimes.

He said this in a handwritten letter he wrote to trial judge Otis Wright of the Central U.S. District of California.

Hushpuppi asked for clemency, expressing his regret and apology for his actions in the letter he sent to the judge ahead of his November sentencing.

Mr. Abbas has been in custody since his arrest in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and his rendition to the United States in June 2020.

He wrote his moving letter dated September 9 to the Detention Judge at Central Valley Annex Prions in McFarland, Calif.

The three-page letter was among documents his attorneys have so far filed in court, urging the judge to reduce his sentence below the calculated range dictated by law.

The conspiracy to engage in money laundering offense to which Mr. Abass pleaded guilty carries a maximum prison term of 20 years.

Full restitution despite benefit of "fraction"

Mr. Abbas wrote in his letter that he was prepared to pay full restitution for the crimes with his legitimately earned funds, hoping that the judge, in exchange, would sentence him to a much lesser prison term.

“Your Honor, I fully recognize the seriousness of my offense and no regrets can right my wrong in the hearts of the victims and that is why I have decided to use my personal money to make up the entire restitution of $1,700,000 even though I only benefited from a fraction of over $300,000, but it makes me feel better that all the victims get every penny back,” he wrote. /p> "I am a changed person"

Mr. Abbas assured the judge that he had become a changed person in custody with a new set of priorities and directions.

He added that he had come to appreciate freedom more and to be on the right side of the law.

Mr. Abass also pleaded with the judge to make his willingness to confiscate his property part of his sentences.

“Personally, I consider this part of my punishment and it's the right thing to do. Your Honor, I am truly a person who has changed in the way I think, see life and make decisions.

"My priorities in life have (sic) changed, my purpose in life has changed, I realized how precious life and freedom are and how important it is to be on the safe side of the law.

"Your Honor, I would like to implore you to see my deed of confiscation of my properties for which I worked hard for many years, for full repayment of restitution as punishment as well."

> "My Difficulties"

He also told the judge what he described as the hardships he had been through since the start of the case, including contracting COVID-19 without seeking treatment.

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“I would like you to also consider the hardships of about a year in confined confinement and also contracting Covid while (being) incarcerated, which was a near death experience with no treatment or care in solitary confinement,” a- he declared.

'Justice'

Mr. Abass also appealed to the judge's sense of justice.

He noted that, not being a US citizen, he would not be eligible for the program which reduces the percentage of sentences to approximately 65%.

In addition to that, he said, he would spend another six months after serving his prison sentence "for the immigration process for the deportation process to be completed".

He said, however, that his co-defendant, a Canadian citizen, who benefited from $11 million from the crimes and who had not yet pledged to make restitution, would receive a reduction drastic sentence of his prison sentence.

"Please, I beg you to lean towards my lawyers' request, otherwise I will do more time than my co-accused who benefited from more than $11,000,000 from the schemes and paid no restitution because he will only have to do 65% of his time, and as a Canadian citizen too, he can be sent there under prison...