LIFE: Meet Louis Shapiro, Top-Rated Criminal Defense Lawyer Hired By Hushpuppi

Louis J. Shapiro is a certified top-rated criminal defence lawyer hired by Ramon Abbas Hushpuppi, a popular Nigerian social media celebrity facing fraud and money laundering related charges in the United States.

Shapiro is a dynamic state and federal criminal law attorney in Los Angeles known for representing numerous clients in cases ranging from Driving Under Influence (DUI), drug offences, cybercrime and money laundering to robbery and checks fraud.

The American-born attorney who is also a TV and radio legal commentator, defends clients in pre-filing stages, government investigations, and trials which includes various types of white and blue-collar crimes.

Shapiro’s expertise is not restricted to only those mentioned above, he often handles more serious crimes such as vehicular manslaughter, child molestation, kidnapping, sexual assault and homicide.  

Over the years he has been rated for aggressively, creatively and successfully represents clients in a vast variety of state and federal criminal matter.

READ ALSO: Hushpuppi: Suspected Fraudster 'Still In Prison'

His reputation as being a strong, detail-oriented advocate and savvy legal mind is why he is viewed as a formidable opponent by many prosecutors.

Due to his wealth of experience in the field, he is frequently sought by print, broadcast and Internet media to discuss the latest issues and trending topics pertaining to criminal acts.

He has appeared on programs such as “Entertainment Tonight,” Sky News, the “Today Show,” and has been quoted in articles published by Associated Press, MSN.com, E! Entertainment, Forbes, Yahoo! News, The Christian Science Monitor, Los Angeles Daily News, Boston Herald, San Francisco Daily Journal amongst other. 

He has also authored many articles that focus on various issues affecting the criminal justice system, and his pieces are published regularly in publications like the Los Angeles Daily Journal.

 As a top criminal defence attorney with reputed for good work ethics, Shapiro routinely trains new lawyers on the effective approaches and methods of handling different criminal defence.

Lou Shapiro who earned his law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law began his career with the New York State Attorney General, Elliot Spitzer. 

He also worked at several agencies including the Legal Aid Society’s Immigration Detainee Unit and clerked for the federal public defenders' office in Los Angeles.

Shapiro, a certified criminal law specialist by the State Bar of California, serves as a Criminal Justice Act Federal Trial Panel attorney for the Central District of California.

READ ALSO: Hushpuppi's Trial Postponed Till 2021

He was appointed member of the Court Appointed Indigent Panel and Los Angeles County Bar Association in 2012, the California Public Defender's Association in 2013, the National College of DUI Defense in 2012 and the Westside Bar Association -Member in 2013.

Currently, Shapiro is a member of the Los Angeles County Criminal Justice Executive Committee, Board of Governors of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the Board of the California Criminal Courts Bar Association, the California DUI Lawyers Association, and the National College for DUI Defense.

Meanwhile, Ramon Abass, better known as Hushpuppi on March 1, 2021, hired Shapira as his new legal criminal defence lawyer in the alleged four counts of conspiracies he was charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in July 2021 after he was arrested in Dubai in June 2020.

He was charged for wire fraud, money laundering conspiracies, international money laundering and engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

According to the FBI, he is alleged to be the leader of a mafia that facilitated computer intrusion, Business Email Compromise (BEC) fraud and money laundering. His targeted victims, majorly in the U.S, have been duped hundreds of millions of dollars.

However, Hushpuppi's decision to hire Shapiro follows the withdrawal of his former attorneys, a top Chicago lawyer, Gal Pissetzky and California-based criminal defence lawyer Vicki Podberesky from the case.

Pissetzky was initially hired to defend Hushpuppi but was later retained as a record counsel due to his transfer to Los Angeles and the lawyer’s inability to practise outside Chicago. As a result, Podberesky was hired as his local council.

In the application dated January 21, Pissetzky, who claimed to have been negotiating with the government over the case, said Hushpuppi suddenly stopped communicating with him.

READ ALSO: Hushpuppi, Woodberry To Be Freed Soon?

“Since Mr Abbas’ arrest and arrival in the Central District of California, I have received voluminous discovery from the government and have been diligently reviewing it and investigating the allegations in this matter.

“My communications with Mr Abbas are by telephone given my inability to fly from Chicago to Los Angeles due to the pandemic. Ms Podberesky, as local counsel, has made several visits to see Mr Abbas at the Santa Ana Jail and has also communicated with him by telephone,” he said.

Their request was, however, granted from the case on February 22, a request seeking the approval of Shapiro as Hushpuppi’s new defence counsel was granted on February 25.