His lawyers had applied for him to leave jail with an
electronic tag and live with the uncle of a woman with whom he has a child
with, but US prosecutors opposed the bail application. UAE's The National
reported that prosecutors said he could commit crimes with just a smartphone
and an internet connection, and that he posed too much of a flight risk.
Reacting to prosecutors' argument, Pissetzky said his client
had too much to lose if he flees from the United States.
He told a judge in Chicago by videolink;
“He is loved and respected. He is a celebrity.
“I don’t see the reason why he would want to ruin his
credibility in the world and his status rather than stay here and face this
allegation.
“Anywhere he goes, people will know. Having grown up very
poor in Nigeria, Mr Abbas is now paid to pose with high-priced items such as
Louis Vuitton bags that people would buy after seeing his posts on Instagram.
“He is an influencer. That’s a job today, as much as it is
hard to imagine. That’s a full-time job.”
Judge Jeffrey Gilbert who watched the proceedings from a prison video link, denied Hushpuppi bail on grounds of him being a flight risk. Gilbert ordered that the suspected Nigerian fraudster be remanded in custody until he is taken to a court in California.
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