The trial of Ramoni Igbalode Abass aka Hushpuppi has begun on Friday, July 3, 2020, in a United States court, and if convicted, the Instagram celebrity could get a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail.

In June, the Dubai Police had released a documentary detailing how Hushpuppi was tracked and arrested through a special operation code-named ‘Fox Hunt 2.’

Days after his arrest, the police authorities in Dubai handed him over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

After his extradition, Hushpuppi made his first appearance in an American court to face criminal charges bordering on to conspiracy to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from business email compromise (BEC) frauds and other scams, including schemes targeting a U.S. law firm, a foreign bank

In a website publication on Friday, the FBI also alleged that Hushpuppi attempted to dupe an English Premier League football club of £100m. 

An affidavit filed with the complaint during the court session on Friday stated that the Hushpuppi was one of the leaders of a transnational network that facilitates computer intrusions in schemes designed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars.

The FBI said the opulent lifestyle the self-acclaimed social media influencer displayed on social media was financed through criminal activities. 

The affidavit reads in part, “Abbas conspired to launder funds stolen in a $14.7 million cyber-heist from a foreign financial institution in February 2019, in which the stolen money was sent to bank accounts around the world. Abbas allegedly provided a co-conspirator with two bank accounts in Europe that Abbas anticipated each would receive €5 million (about $5.6 million) of the fraudulently obtained funds.

“Abbas and others further conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from other fraudulent schemes and computer intrusions, including one scheme to steal £100 million (approximately $124 million) from an English Premier League soccer club, the complaint alleges”.

The affidavit further stated that if convicted for “conspiracy to engage in money laundering, Abbas would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison”.