Nigerian Influencer Ray Hushpuppi Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison For Cyber Crimes

As previously shared by AfroTech, Hushpuppi plead guilty to money laundering scams in April 2021. It was alleged that he took advantage of his millions of Instagram followers by luring them into scams involving cyber and business email compromise schemes. Another reported incident included a school financing scam.

Not only did he manage to allegedly trick his social media followers out of money, but the Nigerian native would also flaunt his riches all over the internet. From luxury cars to private jets to even posting visuals of him posing with wads of cash, Hushpuppi did not shy away from sharing what seemed to be a rich lifestyle with those following him on social media. He claimed that his extravagant way of living was funded through his work as a real estate developer.

Due to his behavior on social media, federal investigators managed to hit the jackpot when it came to evidence.

“The registration and account security information associated with his Instagram profile, for example, included an email address and phone number. Federal officials accessed that information and were able to link the email and phone number to financial transactions and transfers with people the FBI believed were his co-conspirators,” CNN reports.

The final court decision, which was made by U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II, also ordered Hushpuppi to pay $1.7 million in restitution to two of his fraud victims in addition to serving prison time.

Following his arrest in 2020, the 40-year-old opened up about the crimes he had been arrested for.

“Since I have been incarcerated, I have had enough time to reflect on the past and I regret letting greed ruin the good name of my family, my blessing and my name,” Hushpuppi wrote in a handwritten letter to the judge where he also detailed some of the scams.

According to federal documents, Hushpuppi and a co-conspirator worked together to “fraudulently induce” a New York law firm in order to wire roughly $923,000 that was initially meant to fund a client’s real estate refinancing.

In addition to that, he managed to convince a Qatari businessman to come out of $1 million to fund a school in an elaborate scheme that was made up.

Per his three-page letter, Hushpuppi showed remorse for the crimes committed.

“Your honor, I make no excuse for my actions and I take full responsibility for what I’ve done,” he wrote. “If I could turn back the hand of time, I would make an entirely different decision and be more careful in the choices and friends I make.”