Accused Hezbollah financier expected to plead guilty in US sanctions evasion case
Prosecutors say Mohammad Bazzi sold real estate in Michigan, then transferred funds abroad; ask judge for hearing this month to facilitate change of plea
A dual Lebanese-Belgian citizen accused by the United States of financing Lebanese terror group Hezbollah is expected to plead guilty in a criminal case charging him with sanctions evasion and money-laundering conspiracies.
Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said in a court filing on Thursday that lawyers for Mohammad Bazzi told them he wishes to change his plea. Bazzi, 60, pleaded not guilty last year to three felony counts, including attempting to transact with a sanctioned terrorist organization.
Bazzi’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The US Treasury Department placed Bazzi on its sanctions list in 2018 over his alleged ties to Hezbollah, which Washington considers a terrorist organization.
Prosecutors said Bazzi covertly sold real estate he owned in Michigan and transferred the funds abroad, in violation of those sanctions.
Bazzi was extradited to the US in April 2023 from Romania, where he had been arrested two months prior.
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Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi has funneled millions of dollars to the terrorist organization Hizballah.
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Prosecutors and Bazzi’s lawyers jointly asked US District Judge Dora Irizarry to schedule a hearing later this month for Bazzi to change his plea.
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
So far, the skirmishes have resulted in 26 civilian deaths on the Israeli side, as well as the deaths of 20 IDF soldiers and reservists. There have also been several attacks from Syria, without any injuries.
Hezbollah has named 433 members who have been killed by Israel during the ongoing skirmishes, mostly in Lebanon but some also in Syria. Another 76 operatives from other terror groups, a Lebanese soldier, and dozens of civilians have also been killed.
