NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A New Jersey father and son, along with an accomplice from the Bronx, were indicted last week for allegedly conspiring to illegally transmit more than $65 million between the U.S. and several countries in the Middle East, prosecutors said.
Abdulkader Noori Hamza, 62, Mohanad Al-Zubaidi, 36, of Piscataway, New Jersey and Shaker Saleh Mohammed Hauter, 51, of the Bronx were charged on Feb. 2, with one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business to countries in the Middle East, including Yemen, Turkey, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. Al-Zubaidi was also charged with bank fraud.
According to the indictment, from 2018 through 2022, Hamza, Al-Zubaidi and Hauter allegedly operated an unlicensed money transfer business “hawala,” facilitating hundreds of illicit money transfers.
“These three men are charged with moving more than $65 million in illegal proceeds to the Middle East,” IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Thomas Fattorusso said. “Hawala networks are known to facilitate money laundering and fund criminal organizations abroad, and our investigations look to shut down these networks and stop the flow of dirty money. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to following the money to protect the United States from these threats, and we are resolute in building criminal cases against these illicit organizations.”