Nigerian social media show-off and famed scammer, Hushpuppi, who had the gall to defraud a U.S. law firm of nearly a million American dollars has been sentenced to 11 years in prison.
Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi, Hush, or Ray Hushpuppi was arrested in Dubai in June 2020 and extradited to the U.S, where he has been languishing in jail ever since.
Far from the glamourous life of expensive cars and high-end fashion that Hushpuppi portrayed on Instagram, the convicted fraudster was subdued and a sorry sight when he was hauled before the court in prison garb on Friday.
Hushpuppi, who turned 40 last month, gained international notoriety by posting on social media pictures and videos of his lavish spending on exotic cars, watches, designer clothes, and bags from expensive brands.
He frequently posted pictures and videos of himself boarding helicopters, with celebrities, footballers, and Nigerian politicians, or while on charter flights.
Hushpuppi reportedly owns property in Dubai worth millions of US dollars.
The supposed property developer was eventually busted as an international fraudster and arrested.
On Friday, the United States Central District Court in California sentenced Hushpuppi to 11 years in prison for fraud and money laundering.
Ramon Abbas is expected to serve nine more years in the slammer before he is released and sent back to Nigeria, where he was once celebrated at the most successful “Yahoo Boy” with his scams that made him millions of U.S. dollars in ill-gotten wealth.
Hushpuppi’s scams were daring and elaborate – after unlawfully transferring more than $14 million from a financial firm to his bank accounts, he even targeted to steal $124 million from an English Premier League football club.
Authorities in the U.S. have seized the millions of dollars, cars, clothes and watches.
