JUST IN: Top US Defence Attorney Denies Hushpuppi Release

Alleged internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, popularly known as “Ray Hushpuppi” has not been released by US government officials.

This was made known by his legal representative, Gal Pissetzky, on Wednesday night.

Naija News reports that social media had been awash with reports that the popular Instagram celebrity was released.

But Pissetzky, a Chicago based lawyer, told The Punch that Hushpuppi is on his way to California for trial.

He also dismissed reports that Mr Ramon Abbas had dropped his as his legal representative.

“He has not been released and I am still his lawyer. He is on his way to California. Not everything you see on court documents is accurate.

“Just because the jail record says ‘released’ does not mean he has been released. He is being transferred to California,” he said.

Naija News reports that Hushpuppi was arrested alongside Olalekan Jacob Ponle also known as Woodberry in the United Arab Emirate on June 10 for multiple fraud charges after a raid by operatives of the Dubai crime unit.

The Dubai Police authorities had released a video of how Hushpuppi and Woodberry were arrested for fraud. The Dubai based Nigerian big boys were arrested for an alleged $35 million by Interpol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The duo were then extradited to the United States on July 2.

Two weeks after their arrest, Dubai Police confirmed the arrest of the Dubai based Nigerian internet fraudster. The Dubai Media Office said two Nigerians and 10 others were arrested in an operation tagged “Fox Hunt 2“. The Dubai Police said the raid resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents pertaining to a well-planned international fraud worth Dh1.6 billion (N168,823,414,720.00).

Hushpuppi and his gang of fraudsters were accused of leading an “international” online fraud network that was committing crimes outside the UAE, including money-laundering, cyber fraud, hacking, criminal impersonating, scamming individuals, banking fraud and identity theft.