According to a court filing, the US government has gathered over 2,700 electronic files as part of evidence for the $1.1 million fraud case involving a top Nigerian police officer, Abba Kyari.
Prosecutors are also working on other investigative reports and “new discoveries,” including documents obtained from foreign law enforcement agencies that total over 6,700 pages, according to the document.
Prosecutors in the fraud case, along with three of the six indicted defendants, have asked the United States District Court for the Central District of California to postpone the trial from October 2021 to May 17, 2022.
According to reports, the parties jointly filed the application on Friday, citing various reasons for postponing the trial.
Aside from the defense lawyers’ need for more time to prepare for the case, US prosecutors also requested more time to process massive amounts of documents, including those obtained from other countries.
According to the application, the US government has already handed over 2.31 GB of data to the defense, which includes 2,707 electronic files.
According to the report, the files include exported chat logs, Cellebrite reports, WhatApp messages, audio recordings, and other social media content.
Prosecutors were also processing approximately 6,773 pages of additional discovery, which was expected to be delivered in two weeks.
“Defendants are charged with violating 18 U.S.C. 1349 (Wire Fraud Conspiracy); 1956(h) (Money Laundering Conspiracy); and 1028A(a)(1) (Money Laundering Conspiracy)” (Aggravated Identity Theft).
“The government has provided the defense with discovery, which includes 2.31 GB of native data in the form of 2,707 files, including exported chat logs, Cellebrite reports, WhatApp messages, audio recordings, and other social media content.
“The government is currently processing approximately 6,773 pages of additional discovery for production, including investigative reports and documents received from foreign law enforcement agencies,” the document says.
Rukayat Fashola (aka Morayo), Bolatito Agbabiaka (aka Bolamide), and Yusuf Anifowoshe (aka AJ and Alvin Johnson), all of whom were arrested in the United States and later released on bail, signed the application for their trial to be postponed to May 2022, along with their respective lawyers and US prosecutors.
On behalf of the US government, Khaldoun Shobaki, acting Attorney for the Central District of California and U.S. Assistant Attorney, signed the application.
Ms Fashola endorsed the application with her lawyer, Edward Robinson; Ms Agbabiaka endorsed it with her lawyer, Daniel Nardoni; and Mr Anifowoshe endorsed it with his lawyer, Lakeshia Monique Dorsey.
Mr Kyari, Abdulrahman Juma, and Kelly Chibuzo Vincent, the other three accused believed to be outside the United States, “remain at large,” according to prosecutors. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) said in court documents released in July that all six defendants indicted in the case, including Mr Kyari, were co-conspirators in a $1.1 million fraud orchestrated by Abbas Ramon, better known as Hushpuppi, a former Nigerian Instagram celebrity.
Between November 2019 and April 2020, a Qatari businessperson was said to be the victim of Hushpuppi’s heist.
Hushpuppi, who is known for flaunting his wealth on Instagram, has pleaded guilty to a variety of fraud charges, including the $1.1 million scheme, in a separate case before the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
He is currently awaiting his sentence.
Mr. Kyari, a deputy commissioner of police, is accused of aiding Hushpuppi in detaining a disgruntled co-conspirator who wanted to alert the victim businessperson to the scam.
Join Television Nigerian Whatsapp Now
Join Television Nigerian Facebook Now
Join Television Nigerian Twitter Now
Join Television Nigerian YouTUbe Now