Hushpuppi in court: Bail no reach Ramon Olorunwa Abbas wey dey jailed for advance-fee scam charges
Bail no reach Hushpuppi in court wen di Nigerian Instagram influencer Ramon Abbas Igbalode appear for US court for di advance-fee scam charges FBI accuse am, meaning say e go remain for prison.
Di Judge Jeffrey Gilbert wey watch di proceedings from one prison video link for Chicago, deny Hushpuppi bail sake of say im be flight risk. Di judge order make di suspected fraudster dey for prison custody until dem take am to court for trial wey go happun later dis year in California. Oga Pissetzky defense for court Ramoni Abbas bail application bin fail even as im lawyer, Gal Pissetzky dey insist say im job as Instagram celebrity naim dey pay for di $10,000 monthly rent on im flat for Dubai. Oga Pissetzky bin don apply for bail, come tell di court say make dem give Hushpuppi ankle monitor to live wit im uncle wey get woman wit pikin. Oga Pissetzky say "e dey loved and respected. Im na celebrity. "I no see di reason why e go want ruin im credibility in di world and im status rather than stay here and face dis allegation. Hushpuppi na popular Nigerian Instagram celebrity. "Anywhere e go, people go know. As e grow up for very poor Nigeria, dem dey pay Mr Abbas now to pose wit expensive tins like Louis Vuitton bags wey people fit buy after dem see im posts on Instagram. "Im na influencer. That na today job, even as e dey hard to imagine. E be full-time job." Oga Pissetzky However, di US prosecutors no gree as dem dey opposed to di bail application. Di prosecutors tok say e fit run and fit commit magomago wit smartphone and internet connection. Assistant United States Attorney Melody Wells, one prosecutor in the Chicago district attorney office, convince di court say Abbas fit run, e add say im get "significant" financial assets, "deep ties to foreign countries" and im lack ties to di US. E get "perfect recipe to run comot from di the charges wey im dey faces here." Wells tok. But im lawyer reply say na Hushpuppi get plenty tins to lose if e run after bail, he bin tell di judge for Chicago by video link. Dubai bin extradite Hushpuppi to di US last month and US affidavit dey claim say im conspire to launder $14.7m (£11.7m) wey dem tiff for one cyber-heist from one foreign financial institution for February 2019. E no mention di name of di institution but one bank for Malta report say dem lose di same amount to hackers dat same month.