I.C.E. News Release

November 24, 2009

Indictment charges four with conspiracy to support Hezbollah

Six others charged with related crimes
PHILADELPHIA - As the result of a multi-agency investigation, which included U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 10 individuals have been indicted in federal court for various crimes aimed at providing weapons and material support to Hezbollah. The charges include conspiracy to export sophisticated Colt carbines from Philadelphia to the Port of Latakia, Syria.

The announcement was made by David S. Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Department of Justice, and U.S Attorney Michael L. Levy, together with Janice K. Fedarcyk, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Philadelphia), John P. Kelleghan, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Philadelphia, Don Fort, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service (Philadelphia), and Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.According to the indictment, Hassan Hodroj and Dib Hani Harb attempted to provide material support to Hezbollah in the form of approximately 1,200 Colt M4 Carbines (machine guns). Harb and other defendants - including Moussa Ali Hamdan and Hasan Antar Karaki - were also charged with conspiring to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of proceeds from the sale of fraudulent passports, counterfeit money, and stolen (genuine) money. In addition, Hamdan and several other defendants (listed below) were charged with several counts of transporting stolen goods, trafficking-in counterfeit goods, and making false statements to government officials.

"The allegations contained in this complaint demonstrate how terrorist organizations rely on a variety of underlying criminal activities to fund and arm themselves. I applaud the many agents, analysts, and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to bring about these charges and arrests," said David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security.

"ICE will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to disrupt networks involved in the illegal sale and distribution of weapons and critical technologies," said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton. "Today's arrests are a clear indication of the federal government's commitment to keeping Americans safe."

"This investigation demonstrates the dedication and cooperation of law enforcement agents from numerous agencies," said U.S. Attorney Michael L. Levy. "These cases show the breadth of criminal activity engaged in by those who oppose us. The crimes charged here range from the purchase of stolen and counterfeit goods, to the purchase of false visas and passports, to the purchase of weapons. I want to compliment the law enforcement agents, the Assistant United Attorneys, and the attorneys in the National Security Division of the Department of Justice for their efforts."

According to a related criminal complaint that was also unsealed today, Moussa Ali Hamdan began purchasing purportedly stolen cellular telephones from a cooperating witness acting as an agent of the government (hereinafter "the CW") in or about late 2007. Over the next several months, Hamdan and other defendants - including Hamze El-Najjar, a/k/a "Hamze Al-Najjar," Moustafa Habib Kassem, Latif Kamel Hazime, a/k/a "Adanan," Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a/k/a "Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa," Maoda Kane, and Michael Katz - participated in the purchase and transportation of purportedly stolen goods on numerous occasions. These stolen goods included cellular telephones, laptop computers, Sony Play Station 2 systems, and automobiles, which the conspirators caused to be transported to destinations outside Pennsylvania, including overseas.

At the same time, according to the complaint, the CW sold counterfeit goods - namely, counterfeit Nike® shoes and Mitchell & Ness® sports jerseys - to Hamdan and his associates, including defendants Hamze El-Najjar, Moustafa Habib Kassem, Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a/k/a "Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa," Maodo Kane, and Michael Katz.

The complaint details efforts by defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan, Dib Hani Harb, and Hasan Antar Karaki to sell the CW counterfeit United States currency for the purpose of raising funds for Hizballah. In total, the conspirators provided the CW with approximately $9,800 in counterfeit United States currency.

In this same vein, the complaint alleges that defendants Moussa Ali Hamdan, Dib Hani Harb, and Hasan Antar Karaki generated additional funds for Hizballah by selling fraudulent passports. The CW and the defendants participated in the purchase of two fake passports - one from the United Kingdom and one from Canada - for the benefit of Hizballah.

Finally, the complaint alleges that defendant Dib Hani Harb worked with Hodroj in furtherance of a conspiracy to provide material support to Hizballah in the form of approximately 1,200 Colt M4 Carbines (machine guns).

"The FBI remains resolutely committed to working with our law enforcement partners to find and stop those individuals who commit crimes, such as those alleged today, which are intended to provide financial and other material support for those individuals and groups operating on behalf of designated foreign terrorist organizations," said Special Agent-in-Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk, of the Philadelphia Division of the FBI. "Today, through the well-coordinated effort of all involved agencies, a blow has been struck to Hizballah's efforts to fund its terrorism activities."

INFORMATION REGARDING THE DEFENDANTS

INFORMATION REGARDING THE DEFENDANTS NAME ADDRESS YEAR OF BIRTH MAX. SENTENCE (if convicted)
Hassan Hodroj Beirut, Lebanon unknown 15 years
Hasan Antar Karaki Beirut, Lebanon 1959 15 years
Moussa Ali Hamdan Brooklyn, New York 1972 25 years
Hassan El-Najjar, a/k/a "Hassan Al-Najjar" Brooklyn, New York 1982 10 years
Moustafa Habib Kassem Staten Island, New York 1980 10 years
Latif Kamel Hazime, a/k/a "Adanan" Margarita Island, Venezuela & Dearborn, Michigan 1980 5 years
Alaa Allia Ahmed Mohamed, a/k/a "Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa" Brooklyn, New York 1966 5 years
Maodo Kane Bronx, New York 1971 5 years
Michael Katz Plainsboro, New Jersey 1942 5 years


INFORMATION REGARDING THE CHARGES

INFORMATION REGARDING THE CHARGES
Hassan Hodroj Count 1 18 U.S.C. § 2339B (conspiring to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization)
Maximum penalty: 35 years Count 2 18 U.S.C. § 2339B (attempting to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization)
Count 4 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to transport weapons in interstate commerce)
DIB HANI HARB Count 1 18 U.S.C. § 2339B (conspiracy to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization)
Count 2 18 U.S.C. § 2339B (attempt to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization)
Maximum penalty: 90 years Count 3 18 U.S.C. § 2339B (conspiracy to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization)
18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to transport weapons in interstate commerce)
Count 4 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to deal in counterfeit obligations or securities)
Count 5 18 U.S.C. § 473 (dealing in counterfeit obligations or securities)
Count 6 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to commit passport fraud)
18 U.S.C. § 1543 (passport fraud)
Count 7
Count 8
HASAN ANTAR KARAKI Count 3 18 U.S.C. § 2339B (conspiracy to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization)
Count 5 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to deal in counterfeit obligations or securities)
Maximum penalty: 55 years Count 6 18 U.S.C. § 473 (dealing in counterfeit obligations or securities)
18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to commit passport fraud)
Count 7 18 U.S.C. § 1543 (passport fraud)
Count 8
MOUSSA ALI HAMDAN Count 3 18 U.S.C. § 2339B (conspiracy to provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization)
Count 5 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to deal in counterfeit obligations or securities)
Maximum penalty: 260 years Count 6 18 U.S.C. § 473 (dealing in counterfeit obligations or securities)
18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to commit passport fraud)
Count 7 18 U.S.C. § 1543 (passport fraud)
Count 8 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to transport stolen goods)
Count 9 18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 & 21 (transportation of stolen goods)
Counts 10-19 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods)
Count 20 18 U.S.C. §§ 2320 & 21 (trafficking in counterfeit goods)
Counts 21-28 18 U.S.C. § 1001 (false statements to government officials)
Counts 29-30 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to commit passport fraud)
Count 31
HAMZE EL-NAJJAR a/k/a "Hamze Al-Najjar" Count 9 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to transport stolen goods)
Counts 16-17 18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 & 21 (transportation of stolen goods)
Maximum penalty: 40 years Count 20 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods)
Count 26 18 U.S.C. §§ 2320 & 21 (trafficking in counterfeit goods)
MOUSTAFA HABIB KASSEM Count 9 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to transport stolen goods)
Counts 16-17 18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 & 21 (transportation of stolen goods)
Count 20 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods)
Maximum penalty: 40 years Count 26 18 U.S.C. §§ 2320 & 21 (trafficking in counterfeit goods)
LATIF KAMEL HAZIME, a/k/a "Adanan" Count 9 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to transport stolen goods)
Count 15 18 U.S.C. §§ 2314 & 21 (transportation of stolen goods)
ALAA ALLIA AHMED MOHAMED a/k/a Alaa Ahmed Mohamed Abouelnagaa Count 20 18 U.S.C. § 371 conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods)
Count 25 18 U.S.C. §§ 2320 & 21 (trafficking in counterfeit goods)
Maximum penalty: 15 years
MAODO KANE Count 20 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods)
Maximum penalty: 15 years Count 25 18 U.S.C. §§ 2320 & 21 (trafficking in counterfeit goods)
MICHAEL KATZ Count 20 18 U.S.C. § 371 (conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods)
Maximum penalty: 15 years Count 25 18 U.S.C. §§ 2320 & 21 (trafficking in counterfeit goods)


This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Joint Terrorism Task Force, the New Jersey State Police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Secret Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Department of Commerce, Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Air Marshals, Pennsylvania State Police, and the Department of State.

It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy Beam Winter and Stephen A. Miller, and National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Jolie F. Zimmerman.

-- ICE --

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the largest investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.

ICE comprises four integrated divisions that form a 21st century law enforcement agency with broad responsibilities for a number of key homeland security priorities. For more information, visit www.ICE.gov. To report suspicious activity, call 1-866-347-2423.

Last Modified: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0911/091124philadelphia.htm