A United States court has dismissed fraud case against Hushpuppi’s close friend, Olalekan Ponle popularly known as Woodberry.
Woodberry was arrested, alongside Ramon Abbas alias Ray Hushpuppi in the United Arab Emirate on June 10 for multiple fraud charges after a raid by operatives of the Dubai crime unit. The two were extradited to the U.S. on July 2.
The 29-years-old was accused of tricking an unnamed Chicago-based company of transferring about $15.3million to him.
Companies based in Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, New York and California also were victims of the fraud, prosecutors say.
Woodberry was facing charges bordering on wire fraud conspiracy at a United States District Court in Illinois.
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.
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.
A court order issued by Judge Robert W. Gettleman on Tuesday said the government’s motion to dismiss the complaint without prejudice was granted.
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.
He is yet to be released from detention at the time of this report.
