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| Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas |
Ramon "Hushpuppi" Abbas is currently facing charges of fraud, and two Islamic clerics from Nigeria have written to the US district judge overseeing the case claiming that the Instagram sensation is a humanitarian who has used his enormous wealth to benefit Muslims, Muslims, and Islamic causes.
Otis D. Wright, who stated that he would rule on the matter on November 7, called Imam Rasaq Olopede of the Lagos-based Madrasat Ridwanu L'Hai- L-Aroyibat Wal Islamiyat Imisi-Oluwa Mosque as a character witness for Mr. Abbas.
According to Mr. Olopede's letter dated October 8, 2022, to Mr. Wright of the United States District Court for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, Mr. Abbas has been a "young and prospering adult with a genuine interest in the development of his community."
The cleric described Hushpuppi as “a frequent donator to the mosque I lead,” adding that “Ramon would usually contribute his part to anything that concerns the mosque; he would offer financial support at every given time when the mosque was holding events.”
“He, at different times, donated to the mosque, just like he did when he bought a generator set for the mosque,” Mr Olopede said.
Similarly, Hudu Abdulrasak, another Islamic cleric, wrote from a Borno madrasa that Mr Abbas “has lent hands of assistance to many in our community through the provision of the borehole, water well, payment of school fees, supporting of feeding programmes,” among others.
After stating how Mr Abass assisted widows and orphans in the war-ravaged Borno region, Mr Abdulrasak said: “We hereby plead and pray to your honour to kindly put the above-stated into consideration when tempering justice.”
The clerics expressed dismay at Mr Abbas’ descent into crime but stressed that his good deeds should be emphasised at sentencing.
Regina Mariam Manneh, a Dubai resident who said she had a four-year-old boy with Mr Abbas, also informed the judge about the family’s agony since his arrest. She said the judge should consider their child’s future and impose a lighter sentence that would see Mr Abbas out of jail early enough to play his part in raising his children.
In September, Mr Abbas’s lawyers convinced Mr Wright to delay his sentencing until November 7, hoping it would give his legal team enough time to contest the 11 years’ jail recommended by the prosecutors. The lawyers said they wouldn’t contest the demand for restitution to victims.
Prosecutors had opposed delaying the sentencing any further than September 19, arguing that Mr Abbas and his lawyers had prior knowledge of all related matters in the case and were only out to delay and frustrate the judicial process.
But Mr Abbas’ lawyers, led by criminal defence attorney Louis Shapiro, said the prosecutors were trying to railroad the judge into sentencing their client even as some issues were still outstanding. The lawyers also accused the prosecution in Central California of lacking human compassion and using underhand tactics to make their case for at least 11 years in jail for their client.
Mr Abbas has been in U.S. custody since he was extradited from Dubai in mid-2020, languishing in prison amid fears he might constitute a flight risk.