The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced that Lebanese national Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi recently pleaded guilty to conspiracy to conduct and cause a U.S. person to conduct unlawful transactions with a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. Bazzi was designated by the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control in 2018 for providing millions of dollars of financial support to Hizballah, a foreign terrorist organization. As a result of his designation, his property interests in the United States were blocked, and U.S. persons were prohibited from conducting business with him or for his benefit.
The DOJ reported that, following his designation, Bazzi conspired with co-defendant, Talal Chanine, to pressure a U.S.-based individual to liquidate their interest in real estate located in Michigan and then send the proceeds to Bazzi and Chanine in Lebanon without the required OFAC licenses. The DOJ also indicated that there were recordings of Bazzi and Chanine discussing methods to conceal the source and destination of liquidation proceeds from OFAC and other law enforcement officials.
Bazzi is in U.S. custody following his arrest by Romanian law enforcement authorities in February 2023, who subsequently extradited him to the Eastern District of New York. According to the DOJ, Chanine remains at large in Lebanon. Bazzi is currently scheduled to be sentenced on March 10, 2025. According to a Preliminary Order of Forfeiture filed on September 27, 2024, Bazzi has agreed to forfeit approximately $830,000 in connection to the alleged offenses. Bazzi has also agreed to be removed from the United States upon completion of his sentence.
DOJ Press Release | Preliminary Order of Forfeiture | Order of Judicial Removal | Docket – Sentencing Schedule