What is Hushpuppi’s release date from prison?

If you’ve been keeping up with internet sensations and global scandals, you’ve probably heard of Hushpuppi, the Nigerian internet fraudster who is locked behind bars. 

The name alone stirs up a whirlwind of curiosity. Hushpuppi hung out with some of the biggest names across fashion, music, and sports, and was an active “celebrity” in his own right. In the years following his sentencing, rumors have been flying about him being released, especially under the Witness Protection Program. But is there any truth to the rumors that Hushpuppi will be released from prison soon?

Who is Hushpuppi, and what did he do?

Hushpuppi, whose real name is Ramon Abbas, became famous (well, infamous) for his lavish lifestyle. He was known for flaunting his accrued wealth on Instagram, showing off private jets, luxury cars, expensive watches, and designer outfits. He had a massive following on Instagram and was considered quite the internet celebrity. His posts painted a picture of a man who had made it big, but the average Nigerian was privy to the truth behind all of Hushpuppi’s “success.” 

Hushpuppi wasn’t the businessman he portrayed himself to be. In 2020, the world found out that his wealth was linked to cybercrime. He was arrested in Dubai during a massive sting operation led by the FBI, and it was revealed that Hushpuppi had been involved in various fraud schemes for a number of years. These schemes included hacking emails, and creating fake websites to steal millions of dollars from individuals and companies across the globe.

Altogether, Hushpuppi was accused of engaging in a range of crimes, including money laundering, cyber fraud, hacking, impersonation, scamming individuals, banking fraud, and identity theft, with a total estimated value of Dh1.6 billion (around 168 billion Nigerian Naira).One of the most shocking incidents was when Hushpuppi attempted to defraud a Qatari businessman of $1.1 million. However, this was just a small part of his much larger fraud operations, which spanned many years, and multiple countries.

Hushpuppi’s sentencing

After his arrest, Hushpuppi was extradited to the United States, where he faced trial. In 2021, he pleaded guilty to money laundering and fraud charges. Otis D. Wright II, a U.S. district judge, handed down the sentence. He ordered Hushpuppi to pay $1,732,841 in restitution to two victims of his fraud schemes following his guilty plea to a one-count charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering in April 2021. In November 2022, he was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison and is currently serving his time at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Fort Dix, New Jersey.

When will Hushpuppi be released from prison?

Since Hushpuppi’s sentencing was finalized in late 2022, it’s expected that he will serve his 11-year sentence in full. That is, unless there’s a chance for early release, which is more often than not based on good behavior or some other legal factor. Some people wonder if he’ll try to make a comeback in the world of social media after his release, but others think it’s more likely that he’ll fade into the background, especially given the scale of his crimes.

Given that federal sentences don’t usually offer parole, he will be serving most of that time. According to the inmate register of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prison, his release date is June 22, 2029.