Multimillion-dollar unlicensed money transmitter convicted
2024-04-23 · Press release
Summary: A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against an Iraqi citizen who resided in Richmond for operating a money transmitting business without a license
HOUSTON – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against an Iraqi citizen who resided in Richmond for operating a money transmitting business without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding Sameer Sami Rasheed Al Salman, 55, guilty on one count of unlicensed money remitting following a two-day trial.
During the trial, the jury heard evidence about Salman’s money transmitting business, which he operated at his residence in Richmond. Since 2020, Salman transferred and wired millions of dollars from bank accounts in the United States to ones all over the world including China, Indonesia and India.
The jury heard testimony about how Salman offered his services locally and performed informal hawala transactions, a method of transferring money without using the banking system. Salman conducted these transfers which amounted to thousands of dollars from his driveway and required individuals to show their identification. Many transfers originated from Iraq and some transfers were up to $40,000.
Authorities identified Salman’s illegal money transmitting operation after extensive surveillance and conducted a search of his residence. At that time, they discovered over $282,000 in cash stored within the house.
At the trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury Salman had lawful authority to operate a money transfer business in Iraq. The jury did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
“Money flowed from Iraq through Houston thanks to Rasheed Al Salman’s illegal money transmitting business, a business he conducted from his home’s driveway and without a license,” said Hamdani. “Hawala operators like Salman pose a real threat to banking systems because they undermine the oversight and regulation of significant money transfers - transfers that when unregulated, often end up in the coffers of international criminal organizations.”
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake presided over the trial and set sentencing for Aug. 16. At that time, Salman faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Heather Winter and Steven Schammel are prosecuting the case.
- district_office
- Southern District of Texas
- usa_name
- Alamdar S. Hamdani
- event_type
- conviction
- judge_name
- Sim Lake
- judge_title
- U.S. District Judge
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- $40,000, $282,000, $250,000
- crypto_assets
- statutes_json
- timeline_json
- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr/multimillion-dollar-unlicensed-money-transmitter-convicted
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1243 | Alamdar S. Hamdani | prosecutor | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston | |||
| 1244 | Sameer Sami Rasheed Al Salman | defendant | Richmond | 55 | Iraqi | guilty | ||
| 1245 | Sim Lake | judge | U.S. District Judge | U.S. District Court | Houston | |||
| 1246 | Heather Winter | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston | |||
| 1247 | Steven Schammel | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Houston |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 791 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | conducted the investigation | ||
| 792 | U.S. Attorney's Office | prosecution | Heather Winter, Steven Schammel | prosecuting the case |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 619 | unlicensed money remitting | five years in federal prison | $250,000 | Sameer Sami Rasheed Al Salman | guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:43:12+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 173 | seizure | $282,000 | USD | over $282,000 in cash stored within the house | cash | Sameer Sami Rasheed Al Salman | completed |
| 174 | fine | $250,000 | USD | maximum possible fine | cash | Sameer Sami Rasheed Al Salman | pending |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 539 | government | U.S. banking system oversight and regulation | international (U.S., China, Indonesia, India) | Undermined oversight of money transfers, enabling potential funding for international criminal organizations |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 | Money flowed from Iraq through Houston thanks to Rasheed Al Salman’s illegal money transmitting business, a business he conducted from his home’s driveway and without a license,” said Hamdani. “Hawala operators like Salman pose a real threat to banking systems because they undermine the oversight and regulation of significant money transfers - transfers that when unregulated, often end up in the coffers of international criminal organizations. | Alamdar S. Hamdani | U.S. Attorney | U.S. Department of Justice | statement | Commentary on the conviction and nature of Salman's illegal operations | Highlights the systemic threat of unlicensed money transmission to financial oversight and its connection to criminal funding |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 698 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting | Operating a money transmitting business without a license, conducting transfers from the U.S. to international destinations. | Violates federal licensing requirements, enabling illegal financial activities and evasion of regulatory oversight. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Since 2020 | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, U.S. Attorney's Office |
| 699 | Hawala Transactions | Informal money transfer method bypassing traditional banking systems, conducted from Salman's driveway requiring identification. | Facilitates unregulated financial flows, potentially funding criminal organizations. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Recent development (since 2020) | Law enforcement, Hawala users, International criminal organizations |
| 700 | International Money Transfers | Transferring millions of dollars from U.S. bank accounts to destinations like China, Indonesia, and India. | Highlights cross-border financial risks and potential ties to illicit activities. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | International | Since 2020 | International regulators, Financial institutions, Recipient countries |
| 701 | Law Enforcement Investigation | FBI surveillance and search of Salman's residence uncovered $282,000 in cash and evidence of illegal operations. | Demonstrates proactive enforcement against unlicensed financial activities. | National | Recent development | FBI, U.S. Attorney's Office, Prosecutors | |
| 702 | Sentencing and Penalties | Salman faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine upon sentencing. | Reflects legal consequences for violating financial regulations. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | Upcoming (August 16 sentencing) | U.S. District Court, Defendant, Prosecutors |
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