A United States court has dismissed the case against Olalekan Ponle, a Nigerian accused of multi-million dollar wire fraud.
Mr Ponle, popularly known as Woodberry, was arrested, alongside Ramon Abbas (Hushpuppi) in the United Arab Emirate on June 10 for multiple fraud charges after a raid by operatives of the Dubai crime unit.
The duo were extradited to the U.S. on July 2.
According to the complaint against Mr Ponle, an unnamed Chicago company was tricked into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2 million. Companies based in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York and California also were victims of the fraud, prosecutors say.
It was reported how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nabbed Mr Ponle through details accessed from his WhatsApp, iPhone and Bitcoin transactions. He was extradited to the United States on July 2.
The 29-year-old was facing charges bordering on wire fraud conspiracy at a United States District Court in Illinois.
In fact, a report of the grand jury, a group of lawyers empowered to conduct legal proceedings and investigate potential criminal conduct, indicted him.
The jury summed up the allegations against him to an eight-count charge of wire fraud, which violates section 1343 of the United States Codes.
Dismissal
The United States government on Monday filed a motion through its attorney, John R. Lausch, requesting that the case against Mr Ponle should be dismissed without prejudice.
“Counsel for the government has spoken with counsel for the defendant and defendant’s counsel has no objection to this motion. Respectfully submitted,” Mr Lausch stated.
He said it is in pursuant with Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 48, which states that the government may, with leave of court, dismiss an indictment, information, or complaint.
Also, the government may not dismiss the prosecution during trial without the defendant’s consent.
A court order issued by Judge Robert W. Gettleman on Tuesday, said the government’s motion to dismiss complaint without prejudice was granted.
“Without objection the complaint against defendant Ponle is dismissed without prejudice. Motion presentment hearing set for 7/23/2020 is stricken,” Mr Gettleman ruled.
When a case is dismissed with prejudice, it is over and done with, once and for all, and can’t be brought back to court.
However, when it is dismissed without prejudice, like in the case of Mr Ponle, the dismissal is temporary as the prosecutor can refile the case within a certain period of time.
The probable causes of dismissal range from unavailability of sufficient evidence, an improper criminal complaint or charging document, to loss of evidence necessary to prove the defendant committed the crime.
While the reason for the dismissal against Mr Ponle is yet to be obtained, there are indications that the prosecutor will re-file a case against him.
He is yet to be released from detention at the time of this report.
The duo were extradited to the U.S. on July 2.
According to the complaint against Mr Ponle, an unnamed Chicago company was tricked into sending wire transfers totalling $15.2 million. Companies based in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York and California also were victims of the fraud, prosecutors say.
It was reported how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nabbed Mr Ponle through details accessed from his WhatsApp, iPhone and Bitcoin transactions. He was extradited to the United States on July 2.
The 29-year-old was facing charges bordering on wire fraud conspiracy at a United States District Court in Illinois.
In fact, a report of the grand jury, a group of lawyers empowered to conduct legal proceedings and investigate potential criminal conduct, indicted him.
The jury summed up the allegations against him to an eight-count charge of wire fraud, which violates section 1343 of the United States Codes.
Dismissal
The United States government on Monday filed a motion through its attorney, John R. Lausch, requesting that the case against Mr Ponle should be dismissed without prejudice.
“Counsel for the government has spoken with counsel for the defendant and defendant’s counsel has no objection to this motion. Respectfully submitted,” Mr Lausch stated.
He said it is in pursuant with Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure 48, which states that the government may, with leave of court, dismiss an indictment, information, or complaint.
Also, the government may not dismiss the prosecution during trial without the defendant’s consent.
A court order issued by Judge Robert W. Gettleman on Tuesday, said the government’s motion to dismiss complaint without prejudice was granted.
“Without objection the complaint against defendant Ponle is dismissed without prejudice. Motion presentment hearing set for 7/23/2020 is stricken,” Mr Gettleman ruled.
When a case is dismissed with prejudice, it is over and done with, once and for all, and can’t be brought back to court.
However, when it is dismissed without prejudice, like in the case of Mr Ponle, the dismissal is temporary as the prosecutor can refile the case within a certain period of time.
The probable causes of dismissal range from unavailability of sufficient evidence, an improper criminal complaint or charging document, to loss of evidence necessary to prove the defendant committed the crime.
While the reason for the dismissal against Mr Ponle is yet to be obtained, there are indications that the prosecutor will re-file a case against him.
He is yet to be released from detention at the time of this report.
from the premium times.ng
*Hmmmm very strange!!!
Didnt they have enough evidence before extradicting him?I hope say 'Boda Woodberry' never blow whistle on the others oh..Hmmmmm
Stella make I follow you hmmmmmmmmm
ReplyDeleteMe sef follow una hmmmmmmmmmm.
DeleteUse the fingerlings to attract the SHARKS.... Hunke has snitched, still snitching sef. Rat!
DeleteI tell you.....he must have snitch ed big time.......
DeleteI think he was caught before husspuppi and he was used as a bait to catch them and other big fish for a lesser sentence or for his freedom.
DeleteThe United States wont allow him go like that without him getting his hands dirty.
Abeg me too follow do hmmmmmm....
DeleteHahahahahahah brother don snitch
DeleteNo friends no foes 🧚♂️🧚♂️🧚♂️🧚♂️🧚♂️
There is more to this story.
ReplyDeleteHis mother's prayer is working
ReplyDeleteThis STOP this Rubbish! Stop it! Go and b defrauding pple and make ur mum 'prayers' work for u. Hisssss
DeleteAnon, my mum's prayers worked for me when I got caught for.... and the case was dismissed.
DeleteFool!who is d cause of ur sorrow?u ar hissing on ur head,if my comment is paining u,kindly scroll down.
DeleteNo be small hmmmm..I smell a rat.a whole united States.
ReplyDeleteI'm telling you. I am *shooked*.
DeleteIf na naija this happen now we will all scream that he has bribed them.
And you think Whites don't take bribe? My sister better think again because, you'd be shocked!...
Delete@ IJ, is the rat dead or alive?
Delete@Nnukwu nwanyi,na dead rat dey smell na😂😂
DeleteHaba just like that 💁♀️
ReplyDeleteOh boy.. African wonders
ReplyDeleteThere is gonna be lots of celebration in his creeks.
Even if he has ratted others our Stella,it's only a matter of time before they get him again. Little wonder Hushpuppy dismissed his counsel
ReplyDeleteHow come?
ReplyDeleteI won't be surprised if "horse pupu" is also let off the hook,there are powers that be that are working behind the scene.If you know,you know...
ReplyDeleteMy dear ,If you know you know
DeleteEven If he snitched on others, they won't let him off the hook for such magnitude of fraud, maybe a lighter sentence, na wah.
ReplyDeleteHis jazz is working for him
ReplyDeleteStella, some people talk say him don blow whistle o
ReplyDeleteBros dn snitch already
ReplyDeleteAwon baba nigbejo working
ReplyDeleteEven if he switched on his friends he couldn't have just been released,this is not EFCC in Nigeria, I think they just arrested him too fast without having very strong evidence but just based on little heresay... that's too bad, but since he was released without prejudice he can still be arrested when vital evidence are found...well,anyway good for him.
ReplyDeleteThis is American wonder....
ReplyDeleteI think there's more to this story...
I am short of words oooh, but not to jump into conclusion, let's see how it would unfold. There is more to this........
ReplyDeleteSnitching things🥺🥺🥺🥺
ReplyDeleteEven if he snitches on them, I think he should get a lighter sentence. Anyway, Let justice prevail...
ReplyDeleteHe has cooperated with the US government and has become their confidential informant, it's fraud not drugs or murder so the United states government go easy on them. Who watched this film "Catch me if you can"The Lead actor was Ronaldo De Capri, Very interesting movie. He gave himself sense and cooperated, took the plead deal, the American government has decided to use him for some dirty jobs instead of Jim wasting in jail.
ReplyDeleteI know people like to use that movie as a yardstick but do you know that happened when nobody understood fraud. All this people do is do scampage, load it up to c-panel, add a letter and shoot to millions of people hoping someone will click and fill. Now that they defrauded 1.9m people is not true but which mouth does a thief have to defend himself.
DeleteAnyway what they are doing is basic. Hush only has resources to open account in plenty countries. That is not something hard to do if you have the right social skills/connect. It’s not some skill that only a few people have. Many people have the same skill, they just don’t have who can put money inside the accounts so please nobody will employ him to come work. Hush will go to jail even if it’s just 1 year. He can’t escape it.
Mark my words, after his eventual release, he won't be seen in Nigeria anytime soon,
ReplyDeleteHehehehehe 😂 😂 😂 Stella, you'll not kill me oo, @ Boda Woodberry
ReplyDeleteokay....
ReplyDeletePonle works for the FBI. He is undercover. When hush brought him to dubai, he was accosted by dubai police and made to give info to nail hush and and his modus operandi. That's the gist on dubai streets o
ReplyDelete🙆🏼🙆🏼🙆🏼🙆🏼🙆🏼😳😳😳😳😳😳
DeleteSinging: Come and see American Wonder,
ReplyDeleteCome and see Afican Wonder...
I carry yansh for Nigerian wonder ooo