Nigerian Instagram celebrity Ramon Abass aka Hushpuppi has agreed to plead guilty to the fraud charges filed against him by the United States government.
Hushpuppi was arrested in June in Dubai, UAE and extradited to the US where many of his victims are based.
Hushpuppi will now 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, his plea agreement with the U.S. government states in part.
Premium Times reports that it obtained a copy of the plea bargain agreement between him and the US attorney’s office for the Central District of California (USAO) on Wednesday.
The plea bargain was signed by Hushpuppi, his lawyer Louis Shapiro, and the assistant United States attorney Anil Antony, on July 4. The plea agreement was filed at a US Central District Court of California on Tuesday.
Hushpuppi concedes that “all court appearances, including his change of plea hearing and sentencing hearing, may proceed by video-teleconference (VTC) or telephone, if VTC is not reasonably available, so long as such appearances are authorized by Order of the Chief Judge 20-043 or another order, rule, or statute”.
The judge will determine a date for Hushpuppi to change his plea which will be followed by a sentencing hearing.
Hushpuppi will be deported as soon as he completes his jail term and pays up the amount to be restituted.
