Federal agents say two Louisiana brothers used social media to funnel donations to a Hamas-linked fundraiser, and investigators tracked the money trail across apps and payment platforms.
Story Highlights
- Federal complaints allege Omar and Abdel Adhami raised money online and sent funds tied to Hamas channels.
- Records describe more than $83,000 moved by Abdel Adhami through PayPal, plus Western Union transfers.
- Investigators say the men posted Hamas imagery and urged donations for “the poor and orphans in Gaza”.
- FBI and New York Police Department cooperation led to the brothers’ arrests in Louisiana.
Alleged Online Fundraising Channels and Money Flows
NBC News reported that sealed federal complaints accuse Omar and Abdel Adhami of using Snapchat, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram to solicit donations and route funds through intermediaries with ties to Hamas. Prosecutors say posts mixed propaganda with appeals for Gaza aid to draw money. Court records cited in coverage describe transfers tied to Abdel, including PayPal routes and cash services. The complaints were unsealed after the brothers were arrested in Louisiana, advancing a case that officials say began months earlier.
Coverage states that Abdel moved more than $83,000 through PayPal to two accounts, along with additional transfers via Western Union, reflecting a pattern agents call structured online fundraising. Local reporting adds that communications referenced money using code words and tried to reassure contacts the activity was “legal,” according to affidavit excerpts. These details, if proven, point to a method that hides intent behind charity language while using accessible platforms familiar to everyday donors.
Named Intermediary and Investigative Trail
Multiple outlets identify a Gaza-based fundraiser, Saleem Alzaq, as the alleged intermediary who promoted Hamas and received or directed funds sent from the United States. Reporters citing records say the brothers’ channels pointed donors toward him while portraying collections as help for the needy. A separate warrant account describes a broader ecosystem that included encrypted group chats and rotating cryptocurrency addresses supporting a wider financing pipeline tied to Hamas branding and outreach tactics.
Local and national reporting credits a joint team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Police Department with connecting the public posts, messaging groups, and payments that underpinned the case. That interagency approach mirrors counterterrorism cases since September 11, where social media cues and transaction logs play a central role. Officials often rely on pattern evidence, named contacts, and digital trails when building material-support cases that span state and national borders.
Charges, Legal Context, and Public Safety Stakes
Reports say Abdel faces counts that include providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, as well as wire fraud and money laundering under a complaint filed in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The United States material support law has long treated money as fungible, meaning funds sent under a charity label can still help a terrorist group carry out its goals. Past Justice Department actions highlight that principle when targeting Hamas-related financing networks.
This case lands in a post-October 7 landscape, where federal agencies track online solicitations that may blend aid appeals with extremist propaganda. Prosecutors commonly focus on what senders knew and who controlled the end points. The published reports here rely on complaints and warrants, and the brothers are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Still, the alleged mix of Hamas imagery, coded chats, and directed transfers flags a clear public safety concern that justifies firm enforcement.
Sources:
nypost.com, nbcnews.com, wwltv.com, jns.org, justice.gov
