California Resident Charged with Sending Charity Donations to Hamas

A 38-year-old from San Diego allegedly collected around $600,000 through online fundraisers for Gaza, then redirected money to a terrorist group and kept part for himself.

California Resident Charged with Sending Charity Donations to Hamas

A 38-year-old individual residing in San Diego, California, has been taken into custody by federal authorities on accusations of manipulating online donation drives. The campaigns were advertised as providing humanitarian relief to Gaza, yet prosecutors allege the money was funneled elsewhere.

Reda Sabassi was apprehended in San Diego and later appeared before a federal magistrate in California. Court filings from the Southern District of New York indicate that between December 2023 and February 2024, Sabassi gathered close to $600,000 from donors.

Of that amount, investigators believe roughly $116,000 reached a Hamas operative. Prosecutors further contend that Sabassi tried to transform approximately $382,000 into digital currency for onward transmission to the militant group.

Evidence in the case points to conduct stretching back to 2022. John Eisenberg, a senior official at the Department of Justice overseeing national security matters, noted that the defendant also enriched himself from the proceeds.

The indictment includes charges of material support to a foreign terrorist entity, electronic fraud, laundering of monetary instruments, and false declarations.

Source: G4Media.ro

Source: G4Media