By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The news that Ramon Abbas, popularly known as Hushpuppi, has regained his freedom is not true. His lawyer, Gal Pissetzky, has clarified that the alleged internet fraudster was only transferred from Illinois prison to another prison in California.
There have been insinuation that Hushpuppi was released after a US judge assented to the request of the state of California to have him transferred to their penitentiary.
On Wednesday, screenshots of the Bureau of Prisons website, shows that Hushpuppi has been released since July 20.
The website did not, however, clarify that he was only released from one prison to another prison.
Pissetzky, later clarified that the bureau’s records showed ‘released’ because of his transfer to California.
“These reports are not true. He has not been released. The Bureau of prisons website shows that he was released simply because he is being transferred now to California,” he said on Wednesday evening.
The supposed release of Hushpuppi, whose case was only transferred from Illinois to the Central District of California for prosecution, infuriated many Nigerians. They wondered if the American justice system could also be compromised.
Hushpuppi, 37, who was resident in Dubai and known for flaunting his extravagant lifestyle on social media, was arrested last month over internet fraud. He was extradited to the U.S on July 3.
His lawyer, however, argued that Hushpuppi makes his money from Instagram, a claim many Nigerians laughed off as hogwash.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had earlier alleged that Hushpuppi was part of a network that made “hundreds of millions of dollars” from business email compromise frauds and other scams.
Also, the American government said Hushpuppi funded his extravagant lifestyle with stolen money.
He is expected to get a jail term of 20 years if convicted.
