On Friday, July 3, the Department of Justice announced extraditions of two Nigerian nationals to face charges related to separate business email compromise (BEC) operations. Both men are accused of participating in BEC schemes to defraud US organizations out of millions of dollars.
Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, also known as "Ray Hushpuppi" and "Hush," was expelled from the United Arab Emirates to Chicago, where he made his first court appearance. Charges allege he conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from BEC frauds and other scams.
Abbas was arrested in the UAE last month and brought to the US to face a charge of conspiring to engage in money laundering, as alleged in a criminal complaint filed June 25. This complaint describes an Instagram account with several publicly viewable images of Abbas posing on or in luxury vehicles, wearing designer clothing, and possessing luxury items "indicating substantial wealth." In one photo, Abbas posed in front of two vehicles, one of which he said was his new Rolls-Royce Wraith. Multiple photos showed him in private jets or traveling to cities around the world.
"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), and money laundering, targeting victims around the world in schemes designed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars," the affidavit states.
This case targeted a key player in a large, transnational scheme who used illicit funds to support his lifestyle while allegedly giving a safe haven ..
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