Nigerian scammer Hushpuppi, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence in the US, is living large at the Fort Dix detention facility in New Jersey.
The convicted internet fraud kingpin, whose real name is Ramon Abbas, caused a storm in the US prison system following a viral video of him holding a feast with other prisoners.
The video surfaced showing a feast of different foods, including jollof rice, pasta and soda drinks, in what appeared to be a jail facility.
“Tunde Ednut, you can see that we are celebrating you in our own little way o,” said a voice that many Nigerians said belonged to Mr Abbas in the video that went viral on September 22, 2023.
“Fried rice is ready, Tunde Ednut birthday celebration. Jollof loading, pasta is here as you can see,” the voice continued as the person, who hid his face behind the camera, displayed a variety of delicacies on a white table.
🚨 Popular Nigerian Scammer HushPuppi celebrate a friend birthday in Pris0n:
Popular Nigerian scammer HushPuppi posts a video of him celebrating a friends birthday from jail. He is believed to have scammed people for over $300 Million. pic.twitter.com/Oms01wsuVx
— MDFANCY NATION🇬🇧 (@Mdfancy2) January 26, 2024
The United States Bureau of Prisons on February February 1, 2024, said the investigative department would take charge of the inquiry to ascertain the facts or lack thereof about the viral video.
“We take these matters seriously,” the prison facility said, adding that its investigative department would take charge of the inquiry to ascertain the facts— or lack thereof— about the viral video.
It was earlier reported that efforts made by Hushpuppi to reduce his 11-year sentence met a brick wall as the Appeals Court for the Ninth Circuit in Los Angeles, U.S. dismissed his application.
Hushpuppi, who was one of the most prolific money launderers in the world, was arrested in Dubai in 2020 before he was extradited to US.
US court on November 7, 2022, Hushpuppi to pay $1.7 million in restitution to two fraud victims as he was handed the 11-year prison sentence.
The Court heard that Hushpuppi got a New York-based law firm to transfer nearly $923,000 to a criminal account, and helped defraud someone in Qatar who sought a $15 million loan to build a school, federal prosecutors said.
The Nigerian conman was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $922,857 in restitution to the law firm and $809,983 in restitution to the victim in Qatar.
Related: I was asked to do business with Hushpuppi by his friend – lawyer Donald Kipkorir
