A Florida beauty supply business owner is facing federal charges after investigators accused him of providing tens of thousands of dollars to a network allegedly used to finance Hamas.
Raed Yousef, 56, of Lutz, Florida, was charged with 19 federal felony counts involving alleged material support for Hamas, money laundering, conspiracy and passport fraud. Federal authorities say he provided almost $50,000 to a Hamas financing network.
According to prosecutors, Yousef allegedly worked with individuals in France, Louisiana and Gaza as part of an international fundraising operation. Investigators say the network presented some fundraising efforts as humanitarian assistance for people in Gaza while allegedly directing money to Hamas.
Authorities allege that the group used social media, encrypted messaging applications and cryptocurrency transactions to coordinate its activities. Investigators also said participants used code words and attempted to conceal their communications and financial transfers.
Prosecutors say Yousef transferred more than $45,000 to a French organization that allegedly funneled funds onward to Hamas. According to the Justice Department, the broader network collected substantially larger sums through purported charitable campaigns, with cryptocurrency accounts allegedly used to move money to Hamas.
The investigation also uncovered statements attributed to Yousef in which he allegedly called for violence against Jews, including advocating that Jews be killed and that such acts be publicly displayed to frighten others. The statements are among the evidence cited by investigators in the case.
Yousef was born in Kuwait, grew up in Jordan and later moved to the United States, becoming a U.S. citizen in 1991, according to court filings cited by The Times of Israel. His defense lawyers have argued that his comments constituted protected political speech and that he believed the money he raised was intended for charitable purposes.
Yousef owns six beauty supply stores in central Florida, according to his defense team. Investigators searching his home also reported finding approximately $75,000 in cash, at least six firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, as well as material they described as relating to the former Holy Land Foundation.
The case is part of a broader federal investigation into alleged Hamas fundraising networks operating in the United States. On October 2, the U.S. Department of Justice announced additional arrests and charges connected to an international Hamas financing network involving defendants in Florida, Louisiana, New York and France.
Federal prosecutors emphasize that an indictment is an allegation and that defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
Credit: The Times of Israel
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