A San Diego man now faces federal terrorism charges after prosecutors say he used charity appeals to help Hamas and himself.
Quick Take
- Federal prosecutors allege Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi raised about $604,000 for Hamas-linked fundraising efforts.[3]
- The complaint says about $116,000 went to a Hamas member, while other money was tied to cryptocurrency transfers.[3]
- Prosecutors also say Sabassi diverted donor money for rent and personal credit card bills.[3]
- The Justice Department charged him with terrorism, sanctions-evasion, wire fraud, money laundering, and false statement offenses.[1][2]
Federal prosecutors lay out the case
The Justice Department says Sabassi, 38, was arrested in San Diego and charged in a five-count complaint tied to alleged support for Hamas.[1] Prosecutors say he used online donation platforms and a charity front to raise money under the claim that it would help people in Gaza.[2] The complaint says those appeals were part of a wider scheme to move money to Hamas while hiding the true purpose from donors.[3]
The filing is still a complaint, not a conviction, so the charges remain allegations. But the complaint gives prosecutors a detailed map of the money trail they say they can prove in court.[3] It alleges that from December 2023 through February 2024, Sabassi and others raised roughly $604,000, then sent about $116,000 to a Hamas-linked recipient and tried to move another large share through cryptocurrency channels.[3]
How the money allegedly moved
According to the complaint, Sabassi used social media accounts, crowdfunding sites, and a charity called Ikram, The Arab Charity Foundation Inc., to gather donations.[2][3] Prosecutors say the pitches were framed as humanitarian aid, but the money was allegedly meant to support Hamas.[2] The complaint also says Sabassi directed some donor funds to pay his rent and personal credit card bills, which strengthened the fraud and money laundering counts.[3]
The dollar amounts matter because they show scale, not just suspicion. Prosecutors allege that roughly $382,000 was set aside for conversion into cryptocurrency before transfer to Hamas through Gaza Now, a group described by authorities as Hamas-linked.[2][3] That claim fits a pattern federal officials have warned about before, where fake relief drives and charity cover are used to mask terror financing.[15][22]
Why the charge matters to conservatives
This case speaks to a basic problem many Americans already see clearly: bad actors can exploit sympathy, charity, and social media to move money to violent groups.[1][22] For readers worried about law and order, the complaint also raises a simple question of accountability. If these allegations hold up, then donor trust was abused, charity language was weaponized, and a foreign terror group may have benefited from money raised inside the United States.[1][3]
The Palestinian genocidal Hamas terrorist fundraiser plot gets bigger by the hour. Hamas terrorist fundraiser Reda Sabassi was employed with Booz Allen Hamilton.
Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, 38, was charged with terrorism, sanctions evasion, wire fraud, money laundering and making… https://t.co/DL9yyD6eCL pic.twitter.com/5KIh4DFOQR
— Saint James Hartline (@JamesHartline) June 18, 2026
The case also fits a broader federal pattern. The Treasury Department has described other overseas charity networks as sham charities that funded Hamas under humanitarian cover, and past cases show how hard these financing cases can be to unwind in public.[15][16][19] That does not prove guilt here, but it does show why prosecutors often treat donation platforms and fake aid claims as a serious national security issue, not a minor finance case.[18][22]
What happens next
Sabassi is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, and the complaint will now move through the court process.[2][3] If convicted, prosecutors say the charges carry steep prison terms, including counts that can bring up to 20 years each.[2][7] For now, the government says the case is about a man who turned humanitarian messaging into a fundraising pipeline for Hamas and personal spending.[1][8]
Sources:
[1] Web – California Man Allegedly Raised $600K For Terrorist Regime Hamas: DOJ
[2] Web – The Justice Department today announced the unsealing of a five …
[3] Web – San Diego man charged for laundering charity money to Hamas
[7] Web – The Justice Department announced a five-count complaint charging …
[8] Web – Prosecutors Say Man Used Charity Scheme to Raise Thousands for …
[15] Web – UK Charity Funding Diverted to Hamas – NGO Monitor
[16] Web – Treasury Disrupts Sham Overseas Charity Networks Funding …
[18] YouTube – How Hamas Raised Millions In Europe: Italy’s Major …
[19] Web – [PDF] Tackling Hamas funding in the West
[22] Web – A San Diego man accused of raising funds for Hamas through a fake …
