Ramon Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi, has pleaded guilty to allegations of fraud levelled against him by the United States government.
The Instagram big boy, who showoff his multimillion-dollar stolen wealth on the App, was arrested in Dubai, the United Arab Emirate (UAE) in June 2020, and subsequently extradited to the U.S. where most of the victims of his fraudulent activities are based.
His trial is set to commence in the coming weeks, and fearing what awaits him, Hushpuppi told US prosecutors that he was guilty of the crimes in a move to enter a plea bargain agreement with the U.S. government.
According to Premium Times, Hushpuppi `would be pleading guilty to Count Two which is “Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering,” an offence that attracts a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment among other punishments including full restitution to victims.
The report says the agreement was signed by Hushpuppi’s lawyer, Louis Shapiro, and the Assistant United States Attorney, Anil Antony, on July 4, at the U.S. Central District Court of California.
It says a date is to be fixed for Hushpuppi to change his previous “not guilty” plea to “guilty” and will be followed by a sentencing hearing for the judge to determine how long he will spend in jail.
The agreement reads in part; “ Defendant understands that defendant will be required to pay full restitution to the victim(s) of the offence to which defendant is pleading guilty.
“Defendant agrees that, in return for the USAO’s compliance with its obligations under this agreement, the court may order restitution to persons other than the victim(s) of the offenses to which defendant is pleading guilty and in amounts greater than those alleged in the count to which defendant is pleading guilty,” the plea agreement also read.
‘Right of appeal waived’
The agreement also stipulates that with the exception of an appeal based on a claim that his guilty plea was involuntary, he will be “waiving and giving up any right to appeal” against his conviction on the offence to which defendant is pleading guilty.
The report says that not being an American citizen, Hushpuppi would be deported after completing his jail term and paying up the amount to be restituted.