The US Department of Justice announced on June 17 that a San Diego man suspected of raising funds for the terrorist organization Hamas is charged with multiple crimes related to terrorism.
The 38-year-old naturalized American citizen, Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, was arrested in San Diego on June 16. Federal prosecutors stated that he had been openly supporting Hamas and raising funds for the organization through online fundraising platforms.
Sabassi allegedly used a Hamas attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, to attract donors to contribute to his “charitable organization,” and then transferred the funds (some of which he kept for himself) to Hamas.
He also created a one-hour video promoting Hamas attack operations. The attack resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in Israel. The Department of Justice accused Sabassi of posting the video on at least two social media accounts shortly after the attack and reposting it on the anniversary of the attack two years later.
According to the indictment, since 2022, Sabassi has been operating a non-profit charity organization called the Arab Charity Foundation Inc., also known as “Ikram.” He used this organization, along with multiple social media accounts and crowdfunding websites, to solicit donations from people living in the US and around the world.
The Department of Justice stated that Sabassi claimed the funds raised were for humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, but they were actually being raised for Hamas. One fundraising campaign aimed to raise $100,000 for a family who lost their parents and home in an Israeli airstrike. Another campaign called “Gaza Rescue” had a target goal of $1 million, supposedly to provide essential items, food, tents, and clothing to those in need.
Furthermore, prosecutors stated that Sabassi set up two other fundraising campaigns related to Gaza. He allegedly raised funds for Hamas through “Gaza Now” and attempted to convert about $382,000 into cryptocurrency to transfer it to Hamas. However, two co-conspirators who were supposed to assist in the transfer did not complete the transaction. When the funds did not arrive, Sabassi even reported to the police and the FBI that $385,000 in charitable donations had gone missing.
Court documents revealed that after adjustments by financial institutions, Sabassi ultimately raised about $511,000 through fundraising activities to transfer to Hamas. However, due to the failure of his associates to return approximately $382,000 in funds, he was only able to successfully transfer around $126,000 to “Gaza Now.”
Prosecutors also accused Sabassi of using some of the charitable funds for personal expenses, including transferring around $5,000 to a personal cryptocurrency account and $6,000 to a personal bank account in 2024 to repay credit card debt.
Sabassi currently faces five federal criminal charges, including supporting terrorism, evading economic sanctions, telecommunications fraud, money laundering, and making false statements. If convicted, he could face up to 85 years in prison.
Hamas was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US in 1997. The organization’s stated goal is to establish an Islamic Palestinian state throughout Israel and to eliminate the state of Israel through violent jihad.
According to Department of Justice data, Hamas has advocated for attacks against the US and its citizens, causing the deaths and injuries of several Americans over the past few decades.
Prosecutors stated, “The arrest of Sabassi once again demonstrates the government’s determination across departments to combat and prosecute those who provide funding to evil terrorist regimes that harbor hatred towards the United States.”