Abbas Ramon, alias Hushpuppi, who is awaiting sentencing by a United States court, has pledged to refund $1.7 million in restitution to the victims of his fraudulent schemes.
This, the Nigerian Instagram celebrity said, was despite that he only benefitted $300,000 from the crimes.
He said this in a hand-written letter he addressed to the trial judge, Otis Wright of the US Central District of California.
Hushpuppi begged for leniency as he expressed regrets and apologies for his actions in the letter he sent to the judge ahead of his sentencing in November.
Mr Abbas has been in detention since his arrest in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and rendition to the US in June 2020.
He wrote his emotional letter dated 9 September to the judge from detention in Central Valley Annex Prions in McFarland, California.
The three-page letter was part of the documents his lawyers have so far filed at the court, urging the judge to reduce his sentence below the calculated range dictated by statute.
The offence of conspiracy to engage in money laundering to which Mr Abass pleaded guilty attracts a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years.
Full restitution despite benefiting ‘fraction’
Mr Abbas wrote in his letter that he was ready to pay the full restitution for the crimes with his legitimately earned funds, hoping that the judge would, in exchange, sentence him to a much lesser jail term.
