Hezbollah
United States v. Ali Said Mossalem and 8 others
Status: Ali Said Mossalem: Charged, April 18, 2023; Firas Michael Ahmad: Charged, April 18, 2023; Hind Nazem Ahmad: Charged, April 18, 2023; Mohamad Hassan Ismail: Charged, April 18, 2023; Mohamad Hijazi: Charged, April 18, 2023; Nazem Ahmad: Charged, April 18, 2023; Rami Yaacoub Baker: Charged, April 18, 2023; Sarya Nemat Martin: Charged, April 18, 2023; Sundar Nagarajan: Charged, April 18, 2023
- District
- Eastern District of New York
- Docket number
- 23-CR-139 (DG); 1:23-cr-00139; 1:21-mj-00051; 1:20-cr-00071; 1:19-mj-00847
- Group named in DOJ releases
- Hezbollah
- Statutes
- Not stated in DOJ release
- First DOJ release
- April 18, 2023
Primary Sources
- OFAC-Designated Hezbollah Financier and Eight Associates Charged with Multiple Crimes Arising Out of Scheme to Evade Terrorism-Related Sanctions, Office of Public Affairs, April 18, 2023
- OFAC-Designated Hizballah Financier and Eight Associates Charged with Multiple Crimes Arising Out of Scheme to Evade Terrorism-Related Sanctions, U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, April 18, 2023
Status and dates follow these DOJ releases. Docket details from CourtListener (RECAP).
Ali Said Mossalem
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig R. Heeren and Nicholas J. Moscow, and Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Benjamin Richmond and Magdalena St. Surin.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
Firas Michael Ahmad
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
One defendant was arrested today in the United Kingdom at the request of the United States, and the eight remaining defendants, including Ahmad, are believed to reside outside the United States and remain at large.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
- Court docket
- 1:23-cr-00139. Last filing March 20, 2026 (CourtListener)
Hind Nazem Ahmad
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
One defendant was arrested today in the United Kingdom at the request of the United States, and the eight remaining defendants, including Ahmad, are believed to reside outside the United States and remain at large.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
- Court docket
- 1:23-cr-00139. Last filing March 20, 2026 (CourtListener)
Mohamad Hassan Ismail
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
At the time of the designation, OFAC explained that Ahmad was “considered a major Hizballah financial donor who laundered money through his companies for Hizballah and provided funds personally to Hizballah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah” and was also “involved in ‘blood diamond’ smuggling” who “stores some of his personal funds in high-value art.”
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
Mohamad Hijazi
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
Specifically, Ahmad, together with his son Firas Michael Ahmad, daughter Hind Nazem Ahmad and brother-in-law Rami Yaacoub Baker, as well as associates Mohamad Hijazi, Mohamad Hassan Ismail, Sarya Nemat Martin, Ali Said Mossalem Sundar Nagarajan, and others, used numerous corporate entities and individuals to disguise Ahmad’s control and beneficial interest in the companies and in financial transactions, and facilitate the acquisition of multiple pieces of valuable artwork and diamond-grading services for millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds from U.S. persons.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
- Court docket
- 1:21-mj-00051. Closed October 13, 2021; last filing September 30, 2021 (CourtListener)
Nazem Ahmad
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
One defendant was arrested today in the United Kingdom at the request of the United States, and the eight remaining defendants, including Ahmad, are believed to reside outside the United States and remain at large.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions by securing goods and services for the benefit of Ahmad, a Hezbollah financier
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
- Court docket
- 1:23-cr-00139. Last filing March 20, 2026 (CourtListener)
Rami Yaacoub Baker
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
Specifically, Ahmad, together with his son Firas Michael Ahmad, daughter Hind Nazem Ahmad and brother-in-law Rami Yaacoub Baker, as well as associates Mohamad Hijazi, Mohamad Hassan Ismail, Sarya Nemat Martin, Ali Said Mossalem Sundar Nagarajan, and others, used numerous corporate entities and individuals to disguise Ahmad’s control and beneficial interest in the companies and in financial transactions, and facilitate the acquisition of multiple pieces of valuable artwork and diamond-grading services for millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds from U.S. persons.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
- Court docket
- 1:20-cr-00071. Closed January 20, 2023; last filing July 10, 2025 (CourtListener)
Sarya Nemat Martin
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
Specifically, Ahmad, together with his son Firas Michael Ahmad, daughter Hind Nazem Ahmad and brother-in-law Rami Yaacoub Baker, as well as associates Mohamad Hijazi, Mohamad Hassan Ismail, Sarya Nemat Martin, Ali Said Mossalem Sundar Nagarajan, and others, used numerous corporate entities and individuals to disguise Ahmad’s control and beneficial interest in the companies and in financial transactions, and facilitate the acquisition of multiple pieces of valuable artwork and diamond-grading services for millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds from U.S. persons.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
- Custody
- DOJ describes the defendant as at large
- Court docket
- 1:19-mj-00847. Closed February 5, 2021; last filing February 23, 2021 (CourtListener)
Sundar Nagarajan
- Status
- Charged (DOJ release, April 18, 2023)
- From the DOJ release:
Specifically, Ahmad, together with his son Firas Michael Ahmad, daughter Hind Nazem Ahmad and brother-in-law Rami Yaacoub Baker, as well as associates Mohamad Hijazi, Mohamad Hassan Ismail, Sarya Nemat Martin, Ali Said Mossalem Sundar Nagarajan, and others, used numerous corporate entities and individuals to disguise Ahmad’s control and beneficial interest in the companies and in financial transactions, and facilitate the acquisition of multiple pieces of valuable artwork and diamond-grading services for millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds from U.S. persons.
- Age
- Not stated
- Charges as described by DOJ
- conspiring to defraud the United States and foreign governments, evade U.S. sanctions and customs laws, and conduct money laundering transactions for the benefit of Nazem Ahmad
- Charged or arrested
- April 18, 2023
Cite: Middle East Forum, Islamist Terrorism Prosecutions, "United States v. Ali Said Mossalem and 8 others," accessed October 13, 2026, https://cases.meforum.org/case/us-v-mossalem-2023/