GAL Pissetzky of Pissetzky and Berliner, Counsel to alleged international fraudster, Ramon Abass, aka Hushpuppi, has said the Instagram celebrity made his money legitimately through real estate and by promoting brands.
The lawyer said, in an interview with Forbes, that Abass was not guilty of any of the charges against him.
“Abass was running a very legitimate business and had a very legitimate Instagram account and did not take part in any scam or fraud. He is an entrepreneur, he has real estate business and was promoting brands; that’s how he was very legitimately making his money,” he said.
Abass had secured the services of Gal Pissetzky, a senior partner at Chicago law firm, Pissetzky & Berliner, to help free him from the multi-million dollar fraud charges levelled against him by United States authorities.
The Point had reported that Hushpuppi faced a 20-year jail term for alleged money laundering, from various cybercrime schemes, to the tune of $435m (N168bn), according to the United States Department of Justice.
Abbas, who was expelled form Dubai, arrived Chicago a week ago, according to a statement by the US Department.
He was to be transferred to Los Angeles in the coming weeks, after his first US Court appearance in Chicago on Friday morning.
The suspect was arrested on June 10, 2020, by the Dubai Police for various alleged offences, including money laundering, fraud, hacking of websites and banking fraud.
He was arrested along with his accomplices, including Olalekan Ponle, popularly called Woodberry.
The suspects were said to have scammed over 1.9 million people in a dubious scheme worth $435m (N168bn).
Items and property recovered during the arrest, according to the Police, include: 13 luxury cars, estimated at N3.7bn; 21 laptops, 47 smartphones, and 15 storage devices, among others.
According to the US Department, a criminal complaint was filed on June 25 by federal prosecutors in Los Angeles after FBI’s investigation showed that Abbas financed his opulent lifestyle through crime and that he was one of the leaders of a transnational network that facilitated computer intrusions, fraudulent schemes and money laundering, targeting victims around the world in schemes designed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars.
US Attorney, Nick Hanna, said in 2019 alone, the FBI recorded $1.7bn in losses by companies and individuals victimised through the “type of scheme Mr Abbas is charged with conducting from abroad.”
It was also alleged that Abbas defrauded a New York-based law firm’s client of approximately $922,857 in October 2019.
