Ray Hushpuppi Pleads Guilty To Scamming $24 Million From Followers

CREDIT: Scott Wilson/givemesport.com

Nigerian "celebrity influencer" Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, better known as "Ray Hushpuppi" has been caught in his attempt to scam $24 million from his followers.

The Instagram star admitted to playing a role in money laundering in school financing scams and additional cyber email and business compromise schemes.

He was indicted on April 29th and on July 26th it was revealed that he, along with five other defendants, had been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to engage in money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.

CREDIT: Hushpuppi/Instagram

Abbas pleaded guilty on April 20th. His plea deal was filed last Tuesday, clearly outlines his role in the schemes that caused over $24 million in losses from his fans.

Acting United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison has said, "The defendants allegedly faked the financing of a Qatari school by playing the roles of bank officials and creating a bogus website in a scheme that also bribed a foreign official to keep the elaborate pretense going after the victim was tipped off."

"Mr. Abbas, who played a significant role in the scheme, funded his luxurious lifestyle by laundering illicit proceeds generated by con artists who use increasingly sophisticated means. In conjunction with our law enforcement partners, we will identify and prosecute perpetrators of business email compromise scams, which is a massive and growing international crime problem."

CREDIT: Hushpuppi/Instagram

The assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office has said, "Mr. Abbas, among the most high-profile money launderers in the world, has admitted to his significant role in perpetrating global BEC fraud, a scheme currently plaguing Americans."

"His celebrity status and ability to make connections seeped into legitimate organisations and led to several spin-off schemes in the U.S. and abroad. Today's announcement deals a crucial blow to this international network and hopefully serves as a warning to potential victims targeted with this type of theft."

Both conspiracy counts lead to a statutory maximum 20 years in federal prison. Aggravated identity theft leads to a mandatory two-year sentence. 

CREDIT: Hushpuppi/Instagram