Dual Citizen Admits to Hezbollah Financing Scheme

Mohammad Bazzi, a dual Lebanese-Belgian citizen, is set to plead guilty to charges related to financing Hezbollah, sanctions evasion, and money-laundering. Initially pleading not guilty, Bazzi's plea change comes after his extradition from Romania. The U.S. Treasury had sanctioned him in 2018 for his alleged ties to the terrorist group.

Mohammad Bazzi, a dual Lebanese-Belgian national, is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges involving the financing of Hezbollah, a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn revealed that Bazzi, 60, will change his initially not guilty plea. Charged with sanctions evasion and money-laundering conspiracies, Bazzi's case follows his 2018 blacklisting by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Bazzi, extradited from Romania in April 2023, allegedly sold and transferred real estate funds from Michigan to evade sanctions. A hearing is scheduled later this month for Bazzi to formally change his plea.

(With inputs from agencies.)