₦airaland Forum

Mandynews:
Hushpuppi and his cybercrime team attempted scamming a British Premier League club of $124 million according to the US Government’s Department of Justice’s website.

A complaint filed against Hushpuppi, by Andrew John Innocenti, Special Agent, FBI stated that he conspired 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 and an English Premier League soccer club.

Read the full message from the complainant, Andrew John Innocenti, Special Agent, FBI

AFFIDAVIT
I, ANDREW JOHN INNOCENTI, being duly sworn, declare and state as follows:
I. INTRODUCTION
1. I am a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and have been so employed since approximately March 2015. I am currently assigned to the Los Angeles Field Office, High-Tech Organized Crime Squad, where I primarily investigate cyber-enabled fraud and business email compromise (“BEC”) schemes. Between approximately August 2015 and December 2018, I was assigned to a cyber-crime squad in the Chicago Field Office, where I investigated cyber-related crimes, including BEC cases. During my career as an FBI Special Agent, I have participated in numerous computer- crime investigations. In addition, I have received both formal and informal training from the FBI and other institutions regarding computer-related investigations, computer technology, and white-collar fraud.
2. This affidavit is made in support of a criminal complaint against, and arrest warrant for, RAMON OLORUNWA ABBAS, also known as (“aka”) “Ray Hushpuppi,” aka “Hush” (“ABBAS”), for violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h) (Conspiracy to Engage in Money Laundering).
3. The facts set forth in this affidavit are based upon my personal involvement in this investigation, my review of reports and other documents related to this investigation, my training and experience, and information obtained from other agents, law enforcement officers, and witnesses. This affidavit is intended to show merely that there is sufficient probable cause for the requested complaint and arrest warrant, and does not purport to set forth all of my knowledge of the government’s investigation into this matter. Unless specifically indicated otherwise, all conversations and statements described in this affidavit are related in substance and in part only. Unless specifically indicated otherwise, all dates set

forth below are “on or about” the dates indicated, and all amounts or sums are approximate.
II. SUMMARY OF PROBABLE CAUSE
4. RAMON OLORUNWA ABBAS is a Nigerian national living in the United Arab Emirates (the “U.A.E.”), whose social media accounts frequently show him in designer clothes, wearing expensive watches, and posing in or with luxury cars and charter jets. The FBI’s investigation has revealed that ABBAS finances this opulent lifestyle through crime, and that he is one of the leaders of a transnational network that facilitates computer intrusions, fraudulent schemes (including BEC schemes),1 and money laundering, targeting victims around the world in schemes designed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars. ABBAS participated in these fraudulent schemes and money laundering in coordination with multiple coconspirators, including the persons referred to herein as Coconspirator 1 and Coconspirator 2.
5. This affidavit discusses several fraudulent schemes involving ABBAS. First, messages found on the iPhone of Coconspirator 1 (reviewed pursuant to a federal search warrant issued in this District) reflect that ABBAS, Coconspirator 1, and Coconspirator 2, with others, committed a BEC scheme that defrauded a victim in the United States of approximately $922,857.76, including


1 BEC fraud schemes often involve a computer hacker gaining unauthorized access to a business-email account, blocking or redirecting communications to and/or from that email account, and then using the compromised email account or a separate fraudulent email account (sometimes called a “spoofed” email account) to communicate with personnel from a victim company and to attempt to trick them into making an unauthorized wire transfer. The fraudster will direct the unsuspecting personnel of the victim company to wire funds to the bank account of a third party (sometimes referred to as a “money mule”), which is often a bank account owned, controlled, and/or used by individuals involved in the scheme based in the United States. The money may then be laundered by wiring or transferring it through numerous bank accounts to launder the money, or by quickly withdrawing it as cash, by check, or by cashier’s check.

approximately $396,050 that ABBAS, Coconspirator 1, and Coconspirator 2 laundered while Coconspirator 2 was in Los Angeles, California.
6. Second, ABBAS and Coconspirator 1 conspired to launder funds intended to be stolen through fraudulent wire transfers from a foreign financial institution (the “Foreign Financial Institution”), in which fraudulent wire transfers, totaling approximately €13 million (approximately USD $14.7 million), were sent to bank accounts around the world in February 2019. Coconspirator 1 conspired with the persons who initiated the fraudulent wire transfers, and also conspired with a number of others, including ABBAS, to launder the funds that were intended to be stolen. ABBAS, specifically, provided Coconspirator 1 with two bank accounts in Europe that ABBAS anticipated would each receive €5 million of the fraudulently obtained funds.
7. Other communications between ABBAS and Coconspirator 1 indicate that, in addition to these schemes, ABBAS and Coconspirator 1 conspired to launder tens, and at times hundreds, of millions of dollars that were proceeds of other fraudulent schemes and computer intrusions, including a fraudulent scheme to steal £100 million from an English Premier League football club.
III. STATEMENT OF PROBABLE CAUSE
A. Identification of ABBAS

8. Analysis of Coconspirator 1’s iPhone and other online accounts showed that Coconspirator 1 operated and tasked money mule crews for a number of fraudulent schemes, including BEC schemes and cyber-heists. Analysis also showed that Coconspirator 1 communicated with the U.A.E. phone number
+971543777711 (“Phone Number 1”) about multiple fraudulent schemes and money laundering. As described below, Phone Number 1 was one of the phone numbers ABBAS used during 2019 and 2020.

9. Based on my review (pursuant to federal search warrants obtained in this District) of data from Coconspirator 1’s iPhone and from an online account connected to that phone (the “Online Account”), other law enforcement personnel’s review of that digital data, and from discussions with United States Secret Service (“USSS”) and FBI personnel, I know the following:
a. Coconspirator 1’s iPhone listed Phone Number 1 (+971543777711) with the contact name “Hush.” The phone also contained a contact for Snapchat username “hushpuppi5,” which listed the Snapchat contact name “The Billionaire Gucci Master!!!”
b. Searches of Phone Number 1 and the contact name “Hush” in Coconspirator 1’s iPhone revealed messaging conversations between “Hush,” using Phone Number 1, and Coconspirator 1. (For ease of reference, communications with this moniker and Phone Number 1 are referred to as communications with ABBAS in the remainder of this affidavit.)
10. In or around December 2019, April 2020, and June 2020, I reviewed the publicly viewable Instagram account of “hushpuppi” at www.instagram.com/hushpuppi. Based on information available on the profile page, the user of that account made more than 500 posts and had 2.3 million followers as of June 2020.
11. This Instagram account included numerous publicly viewable images of a man who appeared to be ABBAS, based on comparisons to photographs of ABBAS in passports and other identification documents referenced below in paragraphs 16.c to 16.c.iv. Hundreds of these images on the Instagram account showed ABBAS in designer clothing and shoes, posing on or in luxury vehicles, wearing high-end watches, or possessing other luxury items, indicating substantial wealth.

a. For example, on June 6, 2020, ABBAS posted a photograph of a white Rolls Royce Cullinan that included the hashtag “#AllMine.” On February 27, 2019, ABBAS posted a photograph of himself in front of two vehicles, one of which he described as his new Rolls Royce Wraith. Based on review of publicly available pricing information, the starting price for each of these vehicles is approximately $330,000.
b. More than two dozen images showed ABBAS in front of, on top of, or inside other luxury vehicles, including multiple models of Bentley, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Rolls Royce.
c. On numerous occasions, ABBAS posted photos of himself wearing items and/or holding shopping bags from luxury stores such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Channel, Versace, Fendi, and more.
d. On multiple dates, including April 17, 2020, June 19, 2019, and July 1, 2019, ABBAS posted images of himself inside or in front of private jets. Multiple photographs also appeared to show ABBAS posing in locations around the world (such as Dubai and Paris).

e. The following photographs are from review of ABBAS’ Instagram account.

Source: https://mandynews.com/heres-all-the-complaint-files-against-hushpuppi-by-fbi/

Scam report, very unprofessional.

Not a single US Code was given to reference the investigation, the crime, arrest or jurisdiction.

I doubt the authenticity of this FBI agent or the report.

AntonVince:
Some of you apparently still don't know what lies in the offing come 2023, do you?
As it was with the PDP in 2014, so it is now with the APC.
Your hope of reciprocity from the north will only end in tears. Nobody owes you nothing, brother.

The APC was formed FUNDAMENTALLY to return power to the North and with the objective already realized, the party no longer appeals to them. The North does not play absolute politics like the South. Their INTEREST matters more than anything else. They don't care about parties.
Na only mumu Southerners dey carry party for head like Gala.

Even if the CPC power-brokers get arm-twisted into ceding their party's ticket South (against their scheming), it wouldn't feature Tinubu.
...and if it does unexpectedly happen, then brace up for the most resounding electoral defeat of all time!
First, there will be a gale of defections to the PDP and massive re-alignments in the North in pursuit/defence of their INTEREST.
...and with the wound of Tinubu's 2015 betrayal of the South still to heal, coupled with the all-important religion-factor, Jagaban should expect a near-zero vote from the SS/SE and even a substantial part of the Middle-Belt.

Atiku, already with a guaranteed vote bank of about 10 million will amass no less than 70% of the votes that went to Buhari from the NW and NE in 2019. So, where will Tinubu's votes come from?
How about the masses' disenchantment with the APC's abysmal performance since 2015? What makes you think Nigerians will just embrace whoever you nominate? Why should Nigerians renew the mandate of such a divisive and grossly-incompetent party as the APC?
Osun, Kano, Kogi,... did the APC truly win those States? If an incumbent Buhari with his much-touted mass appeal had to rig massively against a much-maligned Atiku to get a 2nd-term, what makes you think Tinubu stands a chance?

...or you expect a north-controlled INEC and the Military to rig Tinubu in against one of their own? Go ask GEJ.

Which North Is it not the same North that has been scattered by bandits and boko? If they still hold this much value and power in your assessment it means South is collectively cowardice.

Can you not see what North is going through? How can such weak region be the one to outsmart you and kick you away from a joint patrimony?

Una analysis get as e be! You dont value yourself at all in that una SS/SE. Abeg stop talking thrash about North hijacking 2023 from Yoruba. It is not goung to happen, simple!

We are not dunce like una.

We know who we are and we place value above North. Now North has had its 8yrs, Yoruba is going to have 8yrs. Who Yoruba put forward is not North's business.

We are not asking to be president in 2023, we are telling you all....Yoruba is Nigerian President in 2023! If you dont like it put your ethnic forward for a competition.

SmartProf:
That's it...He will storm Edo like thunder. Whenever you want to get a Star to shine, you induce darkness. That's how Wike will make APC dark in Edo, and light up the Star in Obaseki

Since 1999 how many successive leaderships have you groomed and developed in Rivers? Name just one.

ODI444:
You know the last thing Igbos could be are weaklings. Yorubas can’t beat Igbos in politics because I cannot see that Yoruba that has that spread. If Igbos mandate Rochas Okorocha and Orji Kanu to lobby the north, I don’t know who in SW will do better than them.
What Igbos are avoiding is the north using the crack in the south to do a subterfuge. They have been doing that with the help of South West.

Really?

SW does not need North to win. North need us.

Our comparative advantage is unmatched in Nigeria.

The politics of land mass and population has shifted, the advantage is now in security, economy, technology. Yoruba lead in all three.

North has nothing we need. They lack security, lack economy, lack technology. They need Yoruba.

But I understand that Ibo needs North. Thats not surprising.

Olu317:
Ooni's statement is not conversant with Yoruba's identity, in relationship with other ethnic group. So he is incorrect because he doesn't know much on Yoruba ethnography or what pictographs serves,except based on western world interpretation. Perhaps, he needs accept the reality that yoruba are different and not as hairy as the more hairy Ibos.

Did you just call my in-laws hairy?

Their fur is the appeal, makes them exotic.

Olu is jealous of my in-laws.

Cc
Christina
Alhaja Rekhina
Adaibeku
Imhotep
Amatarasha

ODI444:
Recently, we have witnessed series of posts on why it should be Rotimi Amaechi in 2023 and how Igbos will benefit if Rotimi Amaechi becomes president.
Splendid to say the least.
Rotimi Amaechi has right to vote and be voted for. He has paid his dues and should be commended for that.
However, 2023 has nothing to do with being an Igbo man or not. What is on lips of every Nigeria including Rotimi Amaechi is Nigeria president of South East extraction. It’s sacrosanct.
But assuming 2023 is an Igbo thing, where will Rotimi Amaechi be found?
I may call Rotimi Amaechi an Igbo man today, he will swallow the ‘bitter pill’ but in 2007, he would utterly reject it.
Google the ethnic groups in Rivers and see for yourself. You have Ikwerre, Igbo and Ijaw. So who are promoting Ikwerre as a ethnic group if not people like Rotimi Amaechi?
In 2007, Obasanjo was in dilemma on whom to chose as running mate between Goodluck Jonathan and Chief Peter Odili. How did figure it out?
Sources said He called Peter Odili and asked him a very simple question: what is your tribe? The innocent Peter answered: “I am a Rivers Man”. They said the question was repeated and the man made no mistake in affirming that he is a ‘Rivers Man’.
Is Rotimi Amaechi an Igbo man? By name he is; but he as well be a Yoruba man by name too.
I leave you to your conscience.
Link: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-east/332296-2023-you-are-in-no-position-to-write-igbos-off-obi-tells-amaechi.html

Are you sure?

Igbos have been saying North should continue in power. Igbos know they cannot defeat Yoruba, so they are lining up behind North against Yoruba.

Igbo already defeated itself when they openly made noise demanding North to continue ruling.

Caretaker Committee did what...

I thought this man, Tinubu, is no longer relevant and has been sidelined?

kestor:
It's not enough that you speak like a child, you do so authoritatively. Even a lay man can make sound judgement of the issue, seasoned legal luminaries have never hinted on a similarity between Nwosu and Obaseki. The only people making noise are those who always allow political leanings becloud their common sense.
A judgment that was so CLEAR, yet you're making a mockery of yourself.
It will do you a whole lot of good to study the judgment, for crying out loud, you're supposed to be educated.Political patronage should not swallow our sense of reasoning nor recourse to conduct due diligence on issues.
SMH!!!

It is obvious your understanding of the issie is muddled.

Legal luminaries do not need to comment on it because their opinion carry weight and have far reaching consequences if given impulsively and in projection. They comment on "what is", and refrain from commenting on "what is to be".

Case in point, many legal luminaries were ahead of themselves to cite legal support in favor of Justice Onnoghen before they had full knowledge of his situation, and had to back-pedaled.....much of what could have been managed through negotiations was damaged through technicalities.

In the case of Nwosu, the disqualification was tied to the ballot.

It does not matter if people across aboard thumb-printed Nwosu in red, Nwosu in blue, Nwosu in yellow ballots....the name Nwosu is uniform and was people's choise. A conflict of interest (inequity) does not arise.

It matters a great deal if there is distinction between ballots and we have Nwosu in red, Nnwaneka in blue, Emeka in yellow....and the returns benefit one candidate only, whose name is Emeka Nnameka Nwosu. An inequity exist.

I have asked severally that spectators share who was on ballot in 2016 governorship election in Edo. They don't know and dodged. If a person could not tell that constitution is not the legal document for electoral process I do not expect they would know why individual names do not appear on ballots.

You are a spectator yourself and people like you must be schooled to cure your ignorance. Your response showed a lot of buffudlement.

I shown you the underlying principle in the Nwosu ruling. How could Obaseki walk into the same trap?

In 2016 Obaseki's name was not on ballot, APC was on ballot and PDP was on ballot. A party can only sponsor one candidate in same election. A candidate can only contest in one election and under one party. This is why people will resign their elected position in one office to submit candidacy for another. We have had people marginally flout that requirement and no one challenged them. If they were taken to court they will be disqualified. In fact, Im sure there will be precedences of court judgements in which a clear victory at the polls will later be overturned on grounds of technicalities and conflict of interest....it is specifically an electoral malpractice.


In 2016, Obaseki was sponsored under rules to be APC candidate. That rules was a simple contract expressed by submitting a nomination form and getting the party's endorsement. People that go to polls to vote Obaseki will not see his name but will see APC on ballot. When you thumb-print you voted APC. Therefore APC is in government house.

In 2020 if you want sponsorship you submit a contract proposal, a nomination form, to a party to field you as a candidate. Obaseki submitted form to APC for the same election that he will contest under PDP.

He has resigned his membership of APC but he has not relinquished and release his contract of 2016. Remember, APC was voted to occupy goverment house. Why is Obaseki, a PDP man, occupying an APC mandate? In the eye of the law, he continues to exercise the contract as long he remains an occupant.

A conflict of interest already exist. It can get worse to a point where if PDP wins the election ....and a stakeholder approaches court and ask for his disqualification the court will see merit in the charge and could give a judgement and a relief.....citing "inequity"!

Some winning candidates have lost their poll victory to court challenges on similar grounds. Meanwhile many in similar situation have been lucky to retain victory with out-of-court settlement.

Share with your fellow spectators so I dont have to school any more of you on what is going on.



It just occurred to me that a likelihood exist someone would recall and mention case of Senate President Saraki decamping from APC to PDP and retained his position as President of Senate.

In the Senate names of candidates are on ballot. Saraki was the name that earned the mandate to lead the Senate, and not the party APC, even though it was the majority. Ike Ekweremadu was voted deputy for same reason....and he never changed party.

The critical factor and underlying hook is " what name was on ballot" and does that name a beneficiary of the action and counter-action at same time.

Great2017:
Bigger Ode! Elections in Nigeria are regulated by both the 1999 constitution (as amended) and the 2010 Electoral act (as amended). Stop displaying your ignorance in full glare.

You are the one that is supposed to quote the sections that supported your claim, Ode. The onus is on you, big ode.

Over to you, ode, show us where it is written or forever remain mute.

Shut it and tell me whose name you thumb stamped in 2016 governorship election in Edo State.

Dont respond with anything else bedside answer.

ChoCho54:
Why are you bothered about a "dead" party?

You are wicked persin.

baby124:
. You are always trolling Igbos. They are generally cool people. You fit the troublesome ones in this politics section though. Hahahaha. Interesting read though.

Ooni told me Yoruba and Ibo are inseparable. Ive stayed glued to them ever since. They enjoy it o.

When i travel to Imo. Im going offline. They will miss me.

Ibo kwenu!
Ibo kwenu!!
Ibo kwenu!!!

Racoon:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/dailypost.ng/2020/07/02/why-we-cannot-expose-boko-haram-sponsors-nigerian-army/

Because they are retired Generals benefitting from multi billion dollar supply and logistics contracts.

engineerboat:
2016 Election does not have any binding on 2020 election.

Maybe you don't know, Obaseki resigned his APC membership long before joining PDP and ApC acknowledge receiving it.

So keep your logic to yourself

Answer now. You dey fear?

Who did you vote in 2016 Edo election?

COMPAQ:
The uber one is already coming o. I hear they are looking at taxing technology transactions like uber, Netflix etc

The guy over committed. Now he want screw up citizens to realize his goal...

MondayOsunbor:
which kind taxing life we dey live so

This Nami should practice what he preaches. How much tax is his family paying?

Great2017:
Can you show me the electoral laws that said so? If you cannot, then, keep such imagination to yourself. I am only interested in what the electoral laws and our constitution say.

Ode! Constitution has nothing to do with party and election process.

You need to read the electoral act. Go to INEC site you will see the act.

Looking for constitution in electoral matter.

Didnt i tell you what you are already? A spectator!

ChoCho54:
Highly disappointing coming from you.

What happened to you?

Chai! This kind fine boy like this.

ChoCho...how you dey?

PDP no get sense, I must teach their yeye fans here how to apply sense.

Orisirisi!

I had no idea PDP had a caretaker committee in SW.

Who were they?

Adaibeku:
am not a young lady , don't let my white colour deceive u ... And don't dishonour me

I will bite you!

Small pikin wey just dey get two small buds for chest and now no let village elders focus again. Yeye

imhotep:
Pay the dowry sharp sharp before we sanction you

I dey go Owerri in few days now. I dey go test Christina first to see what she is working with.

Dowry no be problem. Tell me, wetin you want?

powerhouse3:
it's my opinion

Are you speaking on behalf of Igbo?

Dont speak what you dont know.

This Chairman Nami will soon start taxing people for using uber.

He set too high expectation to discredit Fowler. Now that he cant meet those goals he is arm twisting and robbing people to bring in revenue.


Very soon we go pay tax for eating at buka. If you use condom to fvck you will pay tax. For those who refuse to buy condom if you pour inside and go buy morning after pill you go pay tax.

powerhouse3:
Jimanze ego Alowees ...my best column writer follow by the Man behind the sheep ...Abdu Rafiu







brb ,to give him my mine


Now I'm back....... The point.. or his point


So Eshi, Ehi ,or Eri was essentially a Republican guy and left his progeny a heritage of universals equality,.. it is feasible that what happened to Igbo is similar to the experience of Alexander the great..

when Alexander died ,he left no instruction and his hier decided on what to do with the Empire ...it was to go Republican ,to go Democratic ,to Scatter power and never concentrate it



*******my take away*******

outside link to their ancestry lineage


Going Republican ,Democratic or Scatter power is in literal sense cum 2023....Igbo need to come together and concentrate their Force

Are you speaking for Igbo here

imhotep:
MetaPhysical wants to marry you abi

Ada na my beautiful sista.

Great2017:
Rubbish and illogical.

Ortom contested in the PDP primaries of December, 2014 and jumped ship. That did not prevent him from becoming the governor of Benue State under the APC.

I don't really know where you got the sick logic that picking a nomination form is equivalent to being nominated. It is not contained in any of our electoral laws and the constitution.

I know you will quickly cite the case of Uche Nwosu out of sentiment. The fact is that Uche was nominated by two political parties.

All your desperation and voodoo logic can not stand before our laws. There is no precedence that has disqualified any candidate who had contested in the primaries of more than one political party. I stand to be corrected.

I will advise you to help the APC to include Obaseki's name among those that contested the APC primaries. You can also allocate fictitious votes to him.

Your sophistication is really beyond what have imagined. Continue in your dream world.

We, the good people of Edo State, are not spectators in the politics of our State. That is why Tinubu cannot win even a ward in our State. Edo is not Lagos where one man dictates for the others.

We are waiting for your rigging machinery as you boasted.

You can contest on five different party platforms if you so desire. Thats not an issue as long none of the loosers, or the party itself institutes a challenge.


Last governorship election in Edo whose name was on the ballot at thr polling station?

Great2017:
Another wrong assertion. That I have disagreed with your opinion has now made me an amplifier of other people's view. Well, that is how you know someone who is loosing an argument - making statements without facts.

In the case of Obaseki, you are not an authority. I am also not an authority. It is only facts that can make us align.

Why not test your position by charging him to court? Then, I can take you serious. Outside this, you not better than any uninformed individual.

You see, you cant think. I challenged your brain and you are stuck.

I dont need to charge him to court, im not a stakeholder in his governorship interest but I am interacting and responding to public opinion.

Obaseki obtained and submitted nomination form for APC primary. I hope you know this.

The purpose of the form is to contest primary election in APC.

If APC want to be nice they can simply exclude him as candidate in the primary election. That will take care of any followup court charge.

If they want to play mischief, they will include him on the list and in fact pay couple of people to vote for him. This act will establish that Obaseki contested election under APC while also a candidate under PDP at same time. Do you get it?


You guys are spectators. There are thousands of intrigues in the Nigerian political pandora that when opened can easily disqualify Obaseki...even if the entire Edo state give him victory at the polls.

Adaibeku:
It pains me u joke with truth of ur existence, now d little boy imhotep thinks am talking rubbish, y are u humans so gullible,daft and myopic,
Even though u are d alleluia type but u av 2 seek wat has been ,is painful I know wat no one knows, talk dey will call u agent marine spirit even d so called ipob,

Oya talk. Me i go listen and understand. Me i sabi talk spirit language.

Adaibeku:
Me Ada of great ibeku land said with time u will denounce Isreal n accept iran his enemies

Mark today

Adadiorama I of Ibekuland.

See as little girl dey get boldness to talk and dare her ancestors.

imhotep:
Igbo lifestyle is already Hebraic in nature.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drP6TI2nxuM
Yes. Igbo amaka.

cc lzaa adaibeku

How so?

Adaibeku:
With time we will get things straightened out ..David is d worst terrorist to have walked d middle East after his master( you know him ) with time ,as 4 now let d unslavery continue

Let me catch you....you will be shouting Allahu Akbar from dawn to dusk.