The United States Attorney’s Office at the Central District of California says that Ramon Abbas, aka, Hushpuppi, will be sentenced on February 14, 2022.
The court’s Director of Media Relations, Thom Mrozek, said Hushpuppi has been scheduled for sentencing on Valentine’s Day, according to BBC Pidgin.
The Punch report says Mrozek was, however, yet to respond to an email inquiry by The PUNCH as of the time of filing this report.
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In a plea agreement document sighted by The PUNCH, Hushpuppi had pleaded guilty to various offences bordering on internet scam and money laundering, among others.
The document was signed by Hushpuppi; his lawyer, Loius Shapiro; Acting United States Attorney, Tracy Wilkison, amongst others.
It stated that Hushpuppi risks “20 years’ imprisonment; a 3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offence”.
Also, the court had ordered the Federal Bureau of Investigation to arrest the suspended Head of the Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, for his alleged role in a $1m scam allegedly perpetrated by Hushpuppi and five others.
However, in December 2021, Mrozek declined comments on the warrant of arrest the court issued months earlier that the FBI should apprehend Kyari and other defendants in the case.
Mrozek, in an earlier email interview with our correspondent on December 13, 2021, had said the sentencing of Hushpuppi was still pending.
The Dubai Police in the United Arab Emirates had in June 2020 arrested Hushpuppi and his gang. They were later extradited to the US for prosecution by the FBI.
The FBI Special Agent, Andrew Innocenti, had alleged that Hushpuppi contracted the services of Kyari after a “co-conspirator,” Chibuzo Vincent, allegedly threatened to expose the alleged $1.1m fraud committed against a Qatari businessman.
Innocenti, who said he obtained voice calls and WhatsApp conversations between Kyari and Hushpuppi, had also alleged that the latter paid the police officer N8m or $20,600 for the arrest and detention of Vincent.
Kyari had taken to Facebook on July 29, 2021 to deny the allegations, but he later deleted the post after editing it about 12 times.
The IG had recommended the suspension of Kyari, which the PSC carried out on July 31, 2021.
The Nigerian Xpress reported that Abba Kyari on Tuesday denied collecting bribes from Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas to detain a gang member Chibuzo Vincent, saying the notorious fraudster only sent him recepts of N8 million transaction to help him recover a loan.
Mr Kyari’s comment marked a stark breakaway from his initial defence following his indictment by the United States. The police chief had initially claimed in a Facebook statement on July 29 that he had no ties to Hushpuppi, saying the con artist only sent him N300,000 to help him purchase native wears.