Fake Charity, Real Terror Money

A stack of cash topped with a red ribbon bow

A California fundraiser is accused of turning Americans’ charity for Gaza into a $600,000 pipeline for Hamas and his own pocket.

Story Snapshot

Federal prosecutors say San Diego resident Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi raised about $600,000 through “humanitarian” online campaigns, then funneled money to Hamas and kept some for himself.
The Justice Department charged him with terrorism, sanctions evasion, wire fraud, money laundering, and making false statements after tracing funds through a fake charity and crowdfunding appeals.
Court documents say roughly $116,000 went to a Hamas member and about $382,000 was readied in cryptocurrency to move through a Hamas-linked group called Gaza Now.
The case highlights how fake charities can exploit American generosity after terror attacks, and why strong enforcement is vital to defend national security and honest donors.

What Federal Prosecutors Say Happened

Federal prosecutors say 38-year-old San Diego resident Reda Mazen Rida Sabassi ran a scheme that looked like charity but was really about funding Hamas and covering his own bills.^[3] According to the Justice Department, he used social media, crowdfunding websites, and a self-described charity, Ikram – The Arab Charity Foundation Inc., to ask for donations he said would help civilians in Gaza.^[2] The complaint says that between December 2023 and February 2024, these online campaigns pulled in about $600,000 from donors around the world.^[2]

The Justice Department says Sabassi did not just hide where the money was going, he also lied about his purpose while Hamas was carrying out and praising terror attacks.^[8] Prosecutors say he publicly praised Hamas online, then used the horror of October 7, 2023, to rally support for his “humanitarian” drives.^[8] In reality, officials allege, he directed some of the money to Hamas operatives, tried to route large amounts through a Hamas fundraising channel, and even used donor funds to pay his own rent and credit card bill.^[3]

How the Money Allegedly Reached Hamas

According to the criminal complaint, Sabassi raised roughly $604,000 through these Gaza-focused fundraisers over about three months.^[3] Investigators say around $116,000 was sent to a person identified in the filing as a Hamas member, who was tied to the group’s operations.^[3] Prosecutors also say he moved to convert about $382,000 into cryptocurrency, so it could be sent to Hamas through Gaza Now, which the Treasury Department later labeled a key financial hub for the group and sanctioned as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist network.^[3]

Officials say Sabassi built trust by presenting his campaigns as food, medical, and emergency relief for families trapped in the war zone.^[2] That language resonated with many Americans who wanted to do something kind in the face of disturbing images from the Middle East. But prosecutors claim that behind the scenes, he joked with a partner about naming a fundraiser after Hamas’s armed wing and coordinated directly with people tied to the organization’s financial machine.^[10] The complaint says he then diverted part of the money to personal expenses, including housing and consumer debt.^[3]

The Charges, Possible Penalties, And Why It Matters

The Justice Department has charged Sabassi with conspiring to provide material support to Hamas, conspiring to evade United States sanctions laws, conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to commit money laundering, and making false statements to federal agents.^[7] Each of the four major conspiracy counts carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, while the false statement charge carries up to five years, meaning he could face decades behind bars if convicted.^[7] He has appeared before a federal magistrate in California and will be prosecuted out of New York.

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

Officials stress that he is presumed innocent unless and until a jury finds him guilty, but they also say this case fits a troubling pattern.^[2] For years, Hamas and similar groups have used front charities, zakat committees, and “relief” campaigns to move money under a cloak of compassion.^[16] National security experts warn that terror finance cases are complex, but also warn that when the system fails, American generosity ends up bankrolling organizations openly committed to killing civilians and attacking allies like Israel.^[19]

What This Means For Donors, Security, And Conservative Voters

This case hits a nerve for many readers who give from the heart and now wonder who they can trust. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) previously warned that scammers were using the Israel–Hamas conflict to run fake humanitarian drives online and urged Americans to double-check charities, websites, and crowdfunding pages before sending money.^[22] When a campaign abuses that trust, honest donors feel robbed twice: their money is stolen, and their desire to help is twisted into support for violent extremism.

For conservatives, there are clear stakes here: national security, rule of law, and stewardship of every dollar given by working families. The Trump administration’s Justice Department and Treasury Department have increased focus on “sham charities” that claim to help civilians while secretly serving Hamas and other terror groups.^[15] Strong enforcement, transparent prosecutions, and real prison time send a message that the United States will not allow our financial system, our compassion, or our online platforms to be turned into weapons against our own country and our allies.