The US government has denied reports that detained Nigerian influencer Ramon Abbas, also known as Hushpuppi, committed a $400,000 (£304,000) internet fraud from behind bars.
Hushpuppi, 37, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates in 2020 for crimes that cost victims nearly $24 million. He is currently awaiting sentencing in a US jail after pleading guilty to money laundering.
On Thursday, a document claiming that the FBI filed new evidence against Hushpuppi on Wednesday for defrauding Americans using prison internet facilities surfaced on social media.
Although it is unclear where the document originated, it has gone viral on Twitter and has been covered by numerous news outlets.
However, a US Department of Justice official told the BBC that the US Attorney’s
A US Department of Justice official, however, told the BBC that the US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, which filed the case against Hushpuppi, had not filed any such document.
“The document appears to be fabricated… “We checked with the FBI, who allegedly wrote the document, and they confirmed it is a forgery,” an official said.
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Hushpuppi is well-known for posting photos of his extravagant lifestyle on Instagram, where he has 2.5 million followers. According to court documents, Hushpuppi attempted to steal more than $1.1 million from someone who wanted to fund a new children’s school in Qatar.
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