Federal Authorities Charge San Diego Man in Hamas Funding Scheme
Federal officials have announced the arrest of a San Diego resident accused of running an elaborate online scheme that funneled significant amounts of money in fraudulent charitable donations to Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has unsealed a five-count criminal complaint against Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, 38. He faces serious charges, including terrorism, sanctions violations, wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements.
Authorities indicate that Sabassi is a naturalized U.S. citizen living in San Diego, but have not disclosed details about his birthplace or country of origin. Notably, there are no available mugshots or official images of him released to the public as of yet.
The indictment does not mention any links between Sabassi and the Islamic Center of San Diego, the mosque where two gunmen, a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, opened fire last month.
In a recent statement, the Justice Department confirmed that Sabassi attempted to redirect funds raised under the pretense of charitable campaigns to Hamas while also benefiting personally.
Sabassi was apprehended in San Diego and made his first court appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Steve B. Chu. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in collaboration with the DOJ’s National Security Division.
It’s worth noting that in federal criminal law, prosecutions can occur in any district where a crime occurred, not just where the suspect resides. Since investigators found that Sabassi solicited and accepted donations from individuals living in the Southern District of New York, that district has jurisdiction.
According to prosecutors, Sabassi exploited the geopolitical turmoil following the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel to raise international donations for “urgent humanitarian relief” for Palestinians.
Since at least 2022, he reportedly used social media, crowdfunding sites, and a charity he managed called “Ikram”—translated as “honor” or “generosity”—to attract donors from various places, including New York and throughout the U.S.
Court documents claim that while Sabassi publicly asserted the funds were for medical and humanitarian aid in Gaza, much of the money actually ended up financing Hamas’s activities, with some funds kept by him for personal gain.
The unsealed complaint reveals that Sabassi coordinated with international entities, like Gaza Now, an online fundraising group designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in March 2024.
Prosecutors allege that between December 2023 and February 2024, Sabassi raised approximately $600,000 through these deceptive campaigns. Communications between him and an unnamed collaborator reportedly included jokes about naming a fundraiser after Hamas’s military wing before deciding to use his registered charity to avoid scrutiny.
The DOJ highlighted Sabassi’s arrest as part of a broader effort to disrupt the financial networks that support designated terrorist organizations. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg remarked that Sabassi manipulated the tragic events of October 7th to mislead compassionate donors, ultimately funding violence.
Under federal law, the main charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count related to providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
