A prolific international fraudster who flaunted his “crime-funded lifestyle” on Instragram with flashy clothes and cars has been sentenced to more than 11 years behind bars.
Ramon Abbas, who used the name Ray Hushpuppi on social media, was sentenced in Los Angeles after conspiring to launder tens of millions of dollars through a series of online scams including in the UK, the US Department of Justice said.
The 40-year-old Nigerian national had scores of victims, including an unnamed professional football club in the UK, a New York law firm and a bank in Malta.
By his own admission, Abbas conspired to launder more than $300 million (£261 million) over an 18-month period. He pleaded guilty in April 2021 after being arrested in Dubai in June 2020.
He was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison on Monday.
Abbas “bragged on social media about his lavish lifestyle”, US Attorney Martin Estrada said.
Instagram photos show Abbas posing in branded clothes such as Versace and Burberry in front of luxury vehicles or holding Chanel items.
He targeted victims all over the world, FBI spokesperson Don Alway said, becoming “one of the most prolific money launderers in the world”.
“Abbas leveraged his social media platforms – where he amassed a considerable following – to gain notoriety and to brag about the immense wealth he acquired by conducting business email compromise scams, online bank heists and other cyber-enabled fraud that financially ruined scores of victims and provided assistance to the North Korean regime,” Mr Alway said.
“This significant sentence is the result of years’ worth of collaboration among law enforcement in multiple countries and should send a clear warning to international fraudsters that the FBI will seek justice for victims, regardless of whether criminals operate within or outside United States borders.”
Abbas conspired with Canadian convicted money launderer Ghaleb Alaumary to launder funds stolen from a bank in Malta, by providing account information for banks in Romania and Bulgaria.
The US has charged North Korean hackers with committing the bank cyber-heist in Malta, and allege that the funds were destined for the North Korean government.
Abbas has admitted that the intended loss was around $14.7 million (£12.8 million).
The US attorney’s Office in California said Abbas also targeted a New York-based law firm, a Qatar businessman who sought a loan of $15 million to build a school and he fraudlently acquired a St Kitts citizenship and passport through a sham marriage to a St Kitts citizen.
In May 2019 he conspired to launder millions of pounds stolen from a professional football club in the UK as well as a British company, US authorities said.
The FBI investigated Abbas alongwith the United Arab Emirates and Dubai Police Department.
