Hushpuppi plead guilty to 'conspiracy to engage in money laundering'

Nigeria Instagram celebrity Ramon Abass AKA 'Hushpuppi' don plead guilty to Count Two of di charges against am for US court, wey be Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering according to one document wey BBC Pidgin take eye see and confam from im lawyer.

"Di Defendant agree to appear and plead guilty to Count Two of Information in United States v. Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, Case No. 2:20-CR-00322-ODW, wey charge di defendant with Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)." Di court document tok.

According to di court document wey dey circulate, Hushpuppi make dis agreement with United States Attorney Office for di Central District of California (USAO).

And dis agreement dey limited to di USAO and no fit bind any oda federal, state, local, or foreign prosecuting, enforcement, administrative, or regulatory authorities.

BBC Pidgin reach out to Hushpuppi lawyer, Loius Shapiro to confirm if im client don truly plead guilty and e reply say e no dey comment on cases wey e dey handle.

Concerning weda if dis document wey dey circulate na true, oga Shapiro reply say;

"Yes, it appears to be correct."

Some oda agreement wey hushpuppi do according to di document be say;

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  • E no go contest facts agreed to inside di agreement.
  • Abide by all agreements regarding sentencing wey dey for di agreement.
  • Agree say all court appearances, including im change of plea hearing and sentencing hearing, fit proceed by video-teleconference ("VTC") or telephone, if VTC no dey reasonably available, so long as such appearances dey authorized by Order of di Chief Judge 20-043 or anoda order, rule, or statute.

Wetin go be di Punishment or Penalty for dis crime

Hushpuppi fit face up to 20 years in prison during sentencing according to di informate wey dey di court document.

"Defendant understand say di statutory maximum sentence wey di Court fit impose for violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h), as charged for di Information na 20 years' imprisonment,

"3-year period of supervised release; a fine of $500,000 or twice di gross gain or gross loss resulting from di offense, whichever be di greatest; and mandatory special assessment of $100."

Di court document add say di defendant need to understand say di defendant go dey required to pay full restitution to di victim(s) of di offense to which di defendant dey plead guilty to.

E also agree say in return for di USAO compliance with dia obligations under dis agreement, di Court fit order compensation to pesin other than di victim(s) of di offenses wey im plead guilty to and for amounts wey dey greater than those alleged for di count to which e plead guilty.

"In particular, defendant agree say di Court fit order restitution to any victim of any of di following for any losses suffered by dat victim as result..." di document add.

United Arab Emirates security agencies bin arrest Hushpuppi wey dey live for Dubai for June 2020 on top accuse say im dey plan to tiff plenty millions of dollars through business email compromise (BEC), yahoo-yahoo and oda mago-mago.

Na U.S. law firm, one foreign bank and one English Premier League club be im target.

For July 2020, di UAE later extradite Hushpuppi go Chicago for America under FBI special agents custody wia dem first carry am go court.

During di detention hearing, court for di Northern District of Illinois, USA rule say make di U.S. Marshals Service transport Hushpuppi to Los Angeles wia im trial go start.

For pretrial, Ramon Abass don bin plead not guilty to di four counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and oda crime dem.

Before now, Experts don bin tell BBC Pidgin say if court find Hushpuppi guilty of di accuse, e fit face maximum prison sentence of nothing less than 20 years for federal prison.