A man who flaunted private jets and luxury cars on Instagram gets 11 years in prison for money laundering - CNN

CNN  — 

A Nigerian societal media influencer who flaunted a lavish manner of backstage jets and luxury cars has been sentenced to 11 years successful prison implicit charges related to a multimillion dollar scam that targeted companies successful the United States and overseas.

Ramon Abbas, known to his millions of Instagram followers arsenic Ray Hushpuppi, pleaded blameworthy successful April past year to conspiracy to prosecute successful wealth laundering. In summation to the situation condemnation handed down connected Monday, United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II ordered him to wage $1.7 cardinal successful restitution to 2 fraud victims.

It is simply a spectacular downfall for Abbas, 40, whose June 2020 apprehension astatine his gilded perch successful Dubai made headlines worldwide. Before his sentencing, Abbas was held successful national detention successful Los Angeles, his erstwhile flamboyant societal media relationship gone quiescent — contempt gaining 500,000 caller followers since his arrest.

In a handwritten missive to the justice successful September – the lone nonstop connection from him since his apprehension – Abbas elaborate his 2 years successful detention.

“Since I person been incarcerated, I person had capable clip to bespeak connected the past and I regret letting greed ruin the bully sanction of my family, my blessing and my name,” helium wrote.

On societal media, wherever Abbas had posted videos of himself tossing wads of currency similar confetti, helium referred to himself arsenic a existent property developer. But national investigators said helium financed his extravagant manner done online hacking schemes that netted much than $24 million.

His targets included a US instrumentality firm, a overseas slope and an unnamed British nonrecreational shot club, among others, according to a national sentencing memorandum from the US Attorney’s Office successful the Central District of California.

“Money laundering and concern email compromise scams are a monolithic planetary transgression problem, and we volition proceed to enactment with our instrumentality enforcement and planetary partners to place and prosecute those involved, wherever they whitethorn be,” said Martin Estrada, a United States attorney.

Abbas’ September missive to Judge Wright elaborate however his co-conspirators reached retired to him to pinpoint businesses to scam oregon petition banking accusation to transportation fraudulently obtained funds.

His alleged cyber crimes progressive jaw-dropping amounts of money.

Federal documents elaborate however Abbas and a co-conspirator “fraudulently induced” a New York instrumentality steadfast to ligament astir $923,000 meant for a client’s existent property refinancing to a slope relationship they controlled. A paralegal astatine the steadfast received fraudulent ligament instructions aft sending an email to what appeared to beryllium a morganatic slope email code but was aboriginal identified arsenic a “spoofed” address.

In specified a concern email compromise scam, criminals mimic an email connection oregon website to marque their connection look similar it’s from a known root making a petition specified arsenic a wealth transfer.

Abbas besides confessed to a conspiracy to defraud a Qatari businessman of much than $1 million.

“The defendants allegedly faked the financing of a Qatari schoolhouse by playing the roles of slope officials and creating a bogus website successful a strategy that besides bribed a overseas authoritative to support the elaborate pretense going aft the unfortunate was tipped off,” acting United States Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison said successful a connection past year.

Since his arrest, Abbas said, he’s had clip to bespeak connected his mistakes.

“Your honor, I marque nary excuse for my actions and I instrumentality afloat work for what I’ve done,” helium wrote successful his letter. “If I could crook backmost the manus of time, I would marque an wholly antithetic determination and beryllium much cautious successful the choices and friends I make.”

One of his co-conspirators pleaded blameworthy successful November 2020 to 1 number of conspiracy to prosecute successful wealth laundering. He is besides serving 11 years successful national situation and has to wage much than $30 cardinal successful restitution.

Federal investigators person described Abbas arsenic a prolific wealth launderer who leveraged his societal media level to summation notoriety and brag astir his wealth.

A Nigerian nationalist based successful Dubai, Abbas made nary concealed of his opulent lifestyle. Before his arrest, helium called himself the “Billionaire Gucci Master” connected Snapchat.

“Started retired my time having sushi down astatine Nobu successful Monte Carlo, Monaco, past decided to publication a chopper to person … facials astatine the Christian Dior spa successful Paris past ended my time having champagne successful Gucci,” helium wrote successful a photograph caption connected Instagram in 2020.

Photos of him posing with aggregate models of Bentley, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz and Rolls-Royce cars included the hashtag #AllMine. Others showed him rubbing elbows with planetary sports stars and different celebrities.

In a 2020 affidavit, national officials elaborate however his societal media accounts provided details needed to corroborate his identity.

The registration and relationship information accusation associated with his Instagram profile, for example, included an email code and telephone number. Federal officials accessed that accusation and were capable to nexus the email and telephone fig to fiscal transactions and transfers with radical the FBI believed were his co-conspirators.

Even Abbas’ Instagram day enactment photos helped the investigation.

One specified station displayed a day barroom topped with a Fendi logo and a miniature representation of Abbas surrounded by tiny buying bags. Investigators utilized that station to verify the day of commencement helium had utilized connected a erstwhile US visa application.

In June 2020, United Arab Emirates investigators swooped into Abbas’ flat astatine the exclusive Palazzo Versace edifice successful Dubai, arrested him and handed him implicit to FBI agents.

Investigators astatine the country seized astir $41 million, 13 luxury cars worthy $6.8 cardinal and telephone and machine grounds including the email addresses of astir 2 cardinal imaginable victims, Dubai Police said successful a statement.

“Thank you, Lord, for the galore blessings successful my life. Continue to shame those waiting for maine to beryllium shamed,” Abbas captioned an Instagram representation of a Rolls-Royce conscionable 2 weeks earlier his melodramatic arrest.

The relationship has since been taken down.