Gal Pissetzky, counsel for alleged international fraudster, Ramon Abbas aka Hushpuppi, says his client is not a fraudster.

Pissetzky of Pissetzky & Berliner said Hushpuppi ran legitimate businesses including real estate, according to Forbes.

Reporters had earlier reported that the 37-year-old was arrested in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, by the Dubai Police.

The police revealed that upon the arrest of Hushpuppi and 12 other members of his crew, it discovered that fraud amounting to 1.6 billion Dirham (N168 billion) had been committed by the gang.

No fewer than 1,926,400 people from different parts of the world were also said to have fallen victims to the suspects.

According to the police, 13 luxury cars, estimated at 35 million Dirham (N3.7 billion) were recovered from the house where they were arrested.

The Dubai police later handed him over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States where he had since been arraigned on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, among others.

The FBI further stated that should Hushpuppi be convicted, he risks spending 20 years in jail.

However, while speaking with Forbes, Hushpuppi’s legal representative said his client is “Absolutely not guilty of (the) charges they are accusing him of,” adding, “(he) was running a legitimate business and a very legitimate Instagram account and did not take part in any scam or fraud.”

Asked how Abbas paid for his lifestyle, Pissetzky said, “He’s an entrepreneur. He has real estate involvement … (he’s) an Instagram personality. He was promoting brands and that’s how he was very legitimately making his money.”