San Diego Man Arrested in Terror Plot After Raising Large Sums
A California man was arrested for allegedly raising $600,000 through fake humanitarian campaigns for Gaza that actually funded Hamas while enriching himself.
Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi, a 38-year-old San Diego resident, is accused of raising approximately $600,000 through online fundraising campaigns that he falsely claimed would support civilians in Gaza, according to New York Post. Federal investigators say the funds were actually channeled to the terrorist organization Hamas.
Sabassi was taken into custody Wednesday and brought before a US magistrate judge in federal court, the United States Department of Justice announced.
He now faces five federal counts including conspiracy to provide material support to Hamas, sanctions evasion, wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements. If convicted on the most serious charges, he could face up to 20 years in prison on each count.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said Sabassi allegedly exploited the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks to attract donors to fraudulent humanitarian causes, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars that he funneled to Hamas while also lining his own pockets.
Federal prosecutors say Sabassi openly supported Hamas on social media and allegedly produced an hour-long propaganda video celebrating the October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel. He reportedly posted the video to social media multiple times, including on the second anniversary of the massacre.
Charity Front Allegedly Concealed Terror Financing
According to authorities, Sabassi operated a charity organization called Ikram—The Arab Charity Foundation Inc., which he used in combination with crowdfunding websites and social media accounts to solicit donations from supporters worldwide.
Investigators claim Sabassi privately joked with a co-conspirator about naming one fundraiser after Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, before ultimately deciding to use the Ikram charity name instead.
Prosecutors further allege that Sabassi worked directly with Gaza Now, which federal authorities have identified as a Hamas fundraising organization, to transfer money to the terrorist group.
$600,000 Raised, Over $100,000 Sent to Hamas Operative
Between December 2023 and February 2024, Sabassi allegedly raised approximately $600,000 through online campaigns, as New York Post reports. Of that total, prosecutors claim he sent roughly $116,000 directly to a Hamas member and attempted to convert an additional $382,000 into cryptocurrency for transfer to Hamas through Gaza Now.
Jay Clayton, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, emphasized that Hamas has murdered dozens of Americans through acts of terror and continues to promote attacks against the United States. He stated the arrest demonstrates a whole-of-government commitment to prosecute those providing financial support to terrorist organizations hostile to America.
Federal investigators say Sabassi used charitable appeals to disguise his true intentions.
According to the criminal complaint, Hamas—formally known as Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyya—has been designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997. Prosecutors noted the group’s stated objective is the destruction of Israel and cited the October 7 attacks in which Hamas militants killed more than 1,000 people and kidnapped over 200 others.
San Diego Emerges as Terrorism Investigation Hub
This marks the second major terrorism-related arrest in San Diego in recent weeks. Earlier this month, three men including a former Navy sailor were arrested in an FBI investigation alleging an ISIS-linked plot to target US Special Forces, according to federal court filings.
Authorities said that group discussed acquiring weapons and providing support to the terrorist organization after being monitored through an undercover operation.
In a related case from the same period, a California man arrested in connection with the alleged ISIS plot told his attorney he was a recent college graduate with no criminal history, while prosecutors said he participated in extremist communications tied to the investigation.
The case against Sabassi is being prosecuted by federal prosecutors in New York with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Security Division and multiple FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces. His ultimate sentence, if convicted, would be determined by a federal judge.
With information from New York Post
